Islanders who were forced to leave the Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean to make way for a U.S. military base staged a protest outside the U.K. Parliament. The British government recently announced a deal to hand over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, while allowing the American naval and bomber base to remain on Diego Garcia, one of the islands.
Opponents of the deal argue that the British government is surrendering sovereignty over a British territory without consulting the displaced residents. The Chagos Islands have been under British control since 1814, and the forced eviction of as many as 2,000 people in the 1960s and 1970s to build the Diego Garcia base has been a longstanding issue.
The U.N. General Assembly has called on Britain to end its 'colonial administration' of the Chagos Islands and return them to Mauritius. The recent agreement between the U.K. and Mauritius will see the U.K. retain sovereignty over Diego Garcia for an initial period of 99 years, paying Mauritius an undisclosed rent.
The deal has sparked mixed reactions, with the U.S. President Joe Biden welcoming it as a way to ensure the effective operation of the joint facility on Diego Garcia. However, Britain's Conservative opposition has raised concerns about setting a precedent for other territories like Gibraltar and the Falkland Islands.
The agreement includes a resettlement fund for displaced Chagossians to potentially return to the islands, excluding Diego Garcia. The U.K. government emphasizes that the details of any returns are now the responsibility of Mauritius.
Despite the complexities of the deal, many displaced Chagossians feel left out of the decision-making process. For them, the Chagos Islands are not just a piece of land or a military base but a place they call home.
