UK-Mauritius treaty on Chagos Archipelago, Diego Garcia: What it means, why it matters for India

Sub: IR

Sec: Places in news

Context:

The UK announced that it would cede sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius. This settlement resolves a long-standing sovereignty dispute over Britain’s last African overseas territory, while maintaining the Diego Garcia military base jointly operated by the UK and US.

Historical Background:

Chagos Archipelago: Comprising 58 islands, the Chagos Archipelago lies about 500 km south of the Maldives in the Indian Ocean.
The islands were uninhabited until the late 18th century when the French brought enslaved Africans and Indians to work in coconut plantations.
After France ceded the islands to Britain in 1814, Chagos was attached to Mauritius for administrative purposes.
When Mauritius gained independence in 1968, Chagos remained under British control, with Britain offering Mauritius a grant of £3 million for the “detachment” of the islands.

Strategic Importance:

The UK retained sovereignty over Chagos due to its strategic military importance.
In 1966, Britain and the US signed a defense agreement, and Diego Garcia, the largest island in the Chagos Archipelago, became a major military base by 1986.
The BIOT (British Indian Ocean Territory) administration expelled about 2,000 civilians from Diego Garcia, central to the sovereignty dispute.
Diego Garcia has been used for critical US military operations, including in the Gulf War, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and monitoring the Malacca Strait, a crucial trade route vital to China.

Sovereignty Dispute:

Mauritius has long claimed that the UK illegally occupies Chagos and has raised the issue at the UN and ICJ.
In 2017, the UN General Assembly referred the issue to the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which ruled in 2019 that the UK should “unconditionally withdraw” from the Chagos Archipelago.
The UK-Mauritius agreement resolves this, with the UK ceding claims over the islands except Diego Garcia, which will remain a military base for 99 years.

Implications of the Agreement:

Mauritius is now free to implement resettlement on the Chagos Islands, except for Diego Garcia.
The UK will create a trust fund for the displaced Chagossians.
The agreement helps avoid Mauritius seeking alternative alliances, such as with China, which is increasingly assertive in the Indian Ocean.

India’s Role:

As a former British colony, India has supported Mauritius’ claims over the Chagos Islands and voted in favour of Mauritius at the UNGA in 2019.
India has strengthened its ties with Mauritius, inaugurating an India-built airstrip and jetty on Agaléga, a dependency of Mauritius, earlier in 2023, signaling growing strategic interests in the Indian Ocean amidst rising Chinese influence.

Source: IE