UK Hands Over Indian Ocean Islands To Mauritius — Here's What This Means For US Military Base On Diego Garcia

The UK has agreed to transfer the Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean to Mauritius, bringing an end to a long-standing dispute.

Diego Garcia, which hosts a US military base, is part of the Chagos Islands.

In the 1960s and 1970s, the UK forcibly expelled the Chagossians, a move condemned as a crime against humanity, while it retained control of the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) following Mauritius’ independence in 1968.

This agreement comes after 13 rounds of negotiations, which began in 2022, and follows a series of international rulings. In 2019 and 2021, the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the UN General Assembly, and the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) backed Mauritius' sovereignty claims.

The UK was found to have unlawfully separated the Chagos Islands from Mauritius before granting independence. Despite this, Britain initially resisted returning the islands, citing the ICJ’s ruling as merely “advisory.”

Under the deal between the UK and Mauritius, the former will retain control of the military base on Diego Garcia for the next 99 years.

The Chagos Islands were separated from Mauritius to allow the UK to lease Diego Garcia to the US for military purposes. The base has since been operated by the US.

The treaty is expected to include the right of return for Chagossians to all islands in the archipelago, except Diego Garcia.

India, it is believed, supported the agreement.

New Delhi has historically advocated for the UK to return the islands to its ally Mauritius, provided that the US retains its base on Diego Garcia. This is critical for maintaining the balance of power in the Indian Ocean as the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) prepares for larger, more permanent deployments near India's waters.

As Swarajya had reported earlier, this arrangement was seen as the most likely solution to satisfy the concerns of all parties, including India.

Given India's close ties with the Mauritius, including a base in its Agalega Island in the western Indian Ocean, Port Louis' sovereignty over Diego Garcia could potentially give India more influence in the Indian Ocean.