Key Takeaways
- The Chagos Islands, a disputed archipelago in the Indian Ocean, are at the center of a controversy between the US, UK, and Mauritius over sovereignty and the future of a strategic US military base.
- The UK and Mauritius have signed a deal to transfer sovereignty of the islands, with the UK leasing back Diego Garcia for at least 99 years.
- The deal has been criticized by opposition politicians in the UK, who argue it puts the country’s security at risk and hands over sovereign territory to Mauritius.
- The US has previously welcomed the agreement, but President Trump has now spoken out against it, claiming it is "an act of GREAT STUPIDITY" that will benefit China and Russia.
- The dispute has significant implications for the estimated 10,000 displaced Chagossians and their descendants, who have been fighting for the right to return to their homeland for decades.
Introduction to the Chagos Islands
The Chagos Islands, a remote chain of more than 60 islands in the Indian Ocean, have been at the center of a long-standing dispute between the UK, Mauritius, and the US. The archipelago has been under British control since 1814, when it was ceded by France. The islands are best known for the strategic US military base on Diego Garcia, which has supported US military operations in the region for decades. The base has been used for a range of activities, including clandestine rendition flights of terror suspects, and is home to around 2,500 mostly American personnel.
History of the Dispute
The dispute over the Chagos Islands began in the 1960s, when the UK split the archipelago from Mauritius, a former British colony, three years before Mauritius gained independence. The UK then established the British Indian Ocean Territory, which included the Chagos Islands. The US has described the base on Diego Garcia as "an all but indispensable platform" for security operations in the Middle East, South Asia, and East Africa. However, the UK’s control of the archipelago has been widely criticized, particularly in light of the forced displacement of the local population in the 1960s and 1970s. The UN and the International Court of Justice have both urged the UK to end its "colonial administration" of the islands and transfer sovereignty to Mauritius.
The UK-Mauritius Deal
In 2022, the UK and Mauritius began negotiations on a deal to transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius. The deal, which was signed in May 2025, allows the UK to lease back Diego Garcia for at least 99 years. The agreement has been opposed by many opposition politicians in the UK, who argue that it puts the country’s security at risk and hands over sovereign territory to Mauritius. The deal has also been criticized by the US, with President Trump claiming that it is "an act of GREAT STUPIDITY" that will benefit China and Russia.
Implications for the Chagossians
The dispute over the Chagos Islands has significant implications for the estimated 10,000 displaced Chagossians and their descendants, who have been fighting for the right to return to their homeland for decades. Many Chagossians were forcibly evicted from the islands in the 1960s and 1970s to make way for the US military base, and have since been living in exile in the UK, Mauritius, and the Seychelles. The deal between the UK and Mauritius has left many Chagossians unclear on whether they and their descendants will ever be allowed to return to their homeland. Human Rights Watch has said that the UK’s forced displacement of the Chagossians and ongoing refusal to let them go home "amount to crimes against humanity committed by a colonial power against an Indigenous people."
International Reactions
The deal between the UK and Mauritius has been met with widespread criticism from opposition politicians in the UK, who argue that it puts the country’s security at risk and hands over sovereign territory to Mauritius. The US has also spoken out against the deal, with President Trump claiming that it is "an act of GREAT STUPIDITY" that will benefit China and Russia. The deal has also been criticized by human rights groups, who argue that it does not do enough to address the rights of the displaced Chagossians and their descendants. The international community will be watching closely to see how the deal is implemented and what implications it will have for the region.
