After years of negotiations, Britain has agreed to give up sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius while retaining the strategic Diego Garcia military base in the Indian Ocean under a 99-year lease with the United States. This historic agreement, praised by President Joe Biden, resolves a longstanding issue and secures the future of the crucial military base.
The deal marks a significant turnaround in British-Mauritian relations, with both countries hailing the agreement as a positive step forward. The joint statement emphasizes the importance of addressing past wrongs and supporting the welfare of Chagossians who were forcibly removed from the islands in the 1970s.
The agreement also includes financial support from the UK to Mauritius and cooperation on environmental and migration issues. However, the exclusion of Chagossian voices from the negotiations has raised concerns about the lack of representation for the indigenous inhabitants.
With this agreement, the future of Diego Garcia is secure, and both countries can move forward with a renewed partnership that recognizes the complexities of the past while focusing on cooperation and mutual benefit.