UK Signs Sovereignty Deal on Chagos Islands with Mauritius

• 24 May 2025

On 22nd May 2025, Britain formally agreed to transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, ending a decades-long decolonization dispute—while retaining a 99-year lease on the vital U.S.-UK military base on Diego Garcia, the largest island in the archipelago.

Key Points

• Strategic Control Retained: Britain retains control of the Diego Garcia air base through a multibillion-dollar, 99-year lease, a crucial outpost for counterterrorism and Indo-Pacific operations.
• Legal Challenge Overruled: A last-minute court injunction brought by Bertrice Pompe, a British national born on Diego Garcia, temporarily halted the signing. The injunction was lifted by Judge Martin Chamberlain, who cited serious harm to Britain’s strategic interests.
• India Welcomes the Deal: The Indian government praised the treaty as a step toward complete decolonization, aligning with its long-standing support for Mauritian sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago.
• Chagossian Concerns Ignored: Critics, including members of the Chagossian diaspora, expressed disappointment over their exclusion from the agreement, continuing a history of marginalization since their forced removal in the 1960s and 70s.