About The Chagos Islands
The Chagos Island referred to by the British as the British Indian Ocean Territory, which is not recognised as such by Mauritius — is home to the U.S. military base Diego Garcia.
In the 1960s and 1970s, inhabitants were removed from the islands. Tensions remain, with Mauritius maintaining that the archipelago remains its integral part.
The Hague international tribunal order
1. In March 2015, a tribunal brought against the U.K. found that the Marine Protected Area brought in by the U.K. around the Archipelago in 2010 (but not including Diego Garcia) actually belongs to Mauritius.
2. Mauritius holds legally binding rights to fish in the waters surrounding the Chagos Archipelago.
3. And directed eventual return of the Chagos Archipelago to Mauritius when no longer needed for defence purposes.
4. To preserve the benefit of any minerals or oil discovered in or near the Chagos Archipelago for Mauritus.
U.K.’s responce
1. Last year, the U.K. government announced that it had ruled out the resettlement of the islanders.
2. It also renewed the lease for Diego Garcia, up until 2036, presently used by US as military base.
Recent ICJ order
The International Court of Justice in The Hague has held that Britain’s continued administration of the Chagos archipelago is unlawful. The decision is a landmark in the effort to decolonise the Indian Ocean and return the islands to Mauritius. Britain’s reaction, however, was predictable and disappointing. It said the ICJ’s is an advisory opinion it will examine, and stressed the security significance of the islands.
Background
The agreement to allow Britain to administer the Chagos islands came in 1965, three years before Mauritius gained independence. Mauritius says Britain had made it a pre-condition for independence. This was endorsed by the ICJ, which noted that given the imbalance between the two, the agreement did not amount to “freely expressed and genuine will”. It is a damning assessment of colonial legacies and the attempt by former colonial powers to justify or ignore the indefensible on the basis of ‘agreements’.
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