The British government has signed a deal to transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, following the lifting of a High Court injunction that briefly halted the process. Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the agreement as “vital for our defence and intelligence”, citing support from NATO and the United States.
Under the multibillion-dollar treaty, the UK retains control of the Diego Garcia military base—the largest island in the Chagos archipelago—through a 99-year lease. Starmer emphasised the base’s strategic importance to Britain’s global security interests during a Thursday news conference.
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The court injunction had been prompted by two Chagossian women, Bernadette Dugasse and Bertrice Pompe, who argued the deal could further hinder displaced islanders from returning. “We do not want to hand over our rights to Mauritius. We are not Mauritians,” said Pompe, vowing to continue the decades-long legal battle.
Mauritius Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam hailed the deal as the final step in the country’s decolonisation process. The UK separated the islands from Mauritius in 1965 and evicted around 1,500 residents in the 1970s to make way for the US-UK military installation.
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