Reuters —Britain said on Thursday it would give up sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius in a deal that would allow people displaced decades ago to return home while London retains use of the UK-US military base on Diego Garcia.
Britain said that the operation of Diego Garcia, a strategic military base jointly operated with the United States, was protected by the agreement, which also allows Mauritius to resettle the rest of the islands after its population was displaced.
“This government inherited a situation where the long-term, secure operation of the Diego Garcia military base was under threat, with contested sovereignty and ongoing legal challenges,” British Foreign Minister David Lammy said in a statement.
“Today’s agreement secures this vital military base for the future.
In a joint statement, Britain and Mauritius said that the political agreement had the support and assistance of the United States and India.
Persons:
Diego Garcia, Britain, David Lammy, “
Organizations:
Reuters
Locations:
Mauritius, London, United States, British, ” Britain, Ocean, Seychelles, Britain, India