The bilateral pact contemplates guaranteeing operations at the US base in Diego García, of strategic importance
Oct. 3 () –
The governments of the United Kingdom and Mauritius announced this Thursday a historic agreement, reached after two years of negotiations, according to which London will return the Chagos archipelago to the African country – colonized more than half a century ago, a fact that caused the displacement of the entire population of the islands–, a pact that also contemplates that operations at the United States base in Diego García, of strategic importance, be guaranteed.
The Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom and Mauritius, Keir Starmer and Pravind Jugnauth, respectively, have issued a joint statement in which they confirm “a historic political agreement on the exercise of sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago”, an announcement that reaches more than five years after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that London must end “as quickly as possible” its administration of the territory.
“Under the terms of the treaty, the United Kingdom agrees that Mauritius has sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago, including Diego Garcia. At the same time, our two countries are committed to the need, and will agree in the treaty, to ensure the long-term functioning term, safe and effective of the existing base in Diego García – managed jointly by London and Washington – which plays a vital role in regional and global security,” they emphasize.
In this sense, they specify that “during an initial period of 99 years, the United Kingdom will be authorized to exercise with respect to Diego García the sovereign rights and authorities of Mauritius necessary to guarantee the continued operation of the base”, located on the island most largest of the archipelago.
“After two years of negotiations, this is a decisive moment in our relationship and a demonstration of our permanent commitment to a peaceful resolution of disputes and the rule of law,” they highlight, before noting that the negotiations took place in an environment ” constructive and respectful”, “as two sovereign States on an equal footing”.
Thus, they emphasize that the negotiations have been based on “International Law” with the objective of “resolving all pending issues between the United Kingdom and Mauritius regarding the Chagos Archipelago, including those related to its former inhabitants”, forcibly expelled. following the British decision to separate both territories in 1965 in exchange for the independence of the African country, which materialized in 1968.
“The political agreement is subject to the finalization of a treaty and the supporting legal instruments, which both parties have committed to finalize as soon as possible,” they highlight, while emphasizing that “the treaty will address the mistakes of the past and demonstrate the commitment of both parties in supporting the well-being of the Chagossians.
In this way, they say that “Mauritius will now be free to launch a resettlement program on the islands of the Chagos archipelago, outside of Diego García, and the United Kingdom will capitalize a new trust, while also providing another support for the benefit of the Chagossians”. “This will begin a new era of economic, security and environmental partnership between both nations,” they praise.
Starmer and Jugnauth also reveal that the agreement contemplates that London “deliver a financial support package to Mauritius” that includes “a fixed annual payment for the duration of the agreement and the establishment of an infrastructure partnership” to launch “strategic projects that generate significant change for the citizens of Mauritius and enhance economic development in the country.
“More broadly, the UK and Mauritius will cooperate on environmental protection, maritime security, combating illegal fishing, irregular migration and drug and people trafficking through the Chagos Archipelago, with the shared aim of ensuring the safety and security of one of the most important marine habitats in the world,” they say, while specifying that this includes the creation of the Mauritius Marine Protected Area.
Finally, they assert that “the treaty will open a new chapter in shared history, which will continue to be based on mutual respect and trust, as close partners in the Commonwealth committed to security and prosperity in the Indian Ocean region” and They praise the “full support and assistance” of the United States and India, “close partners”, in reaching this agreement.
BIDEN APPLAUSES THE AGREEMENT
Immediately after the announcement, US President Joe Biden applauded the “historic agreement” between both countries and argued that “it is a clear demonstration that, through diplomacy and collaboration, countries can overcome historic challenges of long history to achieve peaceful and mutually beneficial results.
“This agreement affirms the sovereignty of Mauritius over the Chagos Archipelago, while granting the United Kingdom the authority to exercise the sovereign rights of Mauritius with respect to Diego García,” he highlighted, before noting that this base “plays a role vital for national, regional and global security”.
Thus, he maintained that this base “allows the United States to support operations that demonstrate the shared commitment to regional stability, respond quickly to crises and address some of the main security threats.” “We look forward to maintaining our strong partnership with Mauritius and the United Kingdom in ensuring a free and open Indo-Pacific region,” he concluded.
TWO YEARS OF NEGOTIATIONS
The agreement has been announced nearly two years after the then British Foreign Secretary, James Cleverly, showed London’s willingness to begin negotiations with Mauritius on the future of the archipelago, the focus of a territorial dispute for almost six decades.
Thus, Cleverly stressed that the British authorities were willing to “resolve all outstanding issues” in the face of international pressure on London to end its administration of Chagos and shelve its colonization of the territory of Mauritius.
In fact, in May 2019, the United Nations General Assembly approved a resolution asking the United Kingdom to hand over control of the archipelago within six months, a document approved after a ruling by the ICJ in this regard.
The ICJ had claimed three months earlier that London should end “as quickly as possible” its administration of Chagos, considering that it was not adequately separated from Mauritius after its decolonization”, so the process “was not legally completed when “That country gained independence in 1968.”
Along these lines, the court affirmed that the separation of the archipelago “was not based on the free and genuine expression of the will of the affected people” and recalled that International Law requires the colony to “respect the territorial integrity” of the country during the decolonization process.
The ICJ’s ruling, which was not binding, came after the UN General Assembly decided in June 2017 to ask it to rule on the future of the archipelago, made up of nearly 60 islands, after decades of claims by Mauritius on a decolonization that London rejected.
The Government of the African country already guaranteed in February 2023 that all Chagos originators could resettle on the islands once the United Kingdom handed over sovereignty, after Human Rights Watch (HRW) accused London of crimes against humanity for its refusal to allow residents to return to their homes.
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