The United Nations Secretary-General has welcomed the landmark agreement between the United Kingdom and Mauritius over the long-disputed Chagos Archipelago, including its largest island, Diego Garcia.
On Thursday, Stéphane Dujarric, spokesperson for the Secretary-General, described the deal as a “significant step towards resolving a long-standing dispute in the Indian Ocean region” and praised it as a demonstration of diplomacy’s power to address historical injustices.
On Thursday, the UK formally signed an agreement to cede sovereignty over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, a move aimed at settling a decades-old colonial dispute while securing the future of the U.S.-U.K. military base on Diego Garcia—a site widely regarded as vital to Western security interests.
Under the new arrangement, the UK will lease Diego Garcia back from Mauritius for at least 99 years. In return, Mauritius will receive an average of £101 million (approximately $136 million) annually from the UK for the duration of the lease.
Diego Garcia, located in the central Indian Ocean, hosts a key naval and air base that supports U.S. military operations across Asia and the Middle East. The facility has played a pivotal role in past conflicts including the Vietnam War, the Gulf War, and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. It is equipped to support nuclear submarines, aircraft carriers, and large reconnaissance aircraft, making it one of the most strategic U.S. military assets outside American territory.
Despite the agreement, the deal has faced criticism from some original inhabitants of the Chagos Islands. Around 2,000 Chagossians were forcibly evicted by the British government in the 1960s and 1970s to clear the way for the military base. Many have campaigned for decades for the right to return and seek reparations.
The Chagos Islands have remained under British control since 1814. In 1965, just three years before granting Mauritius its independence, the UK separated the Chagos Archipelago from its then-colony to establish the British Indian Ocean Territory—a move Mauritius has long opposed as illegal under international law.
The United Nations General Assembly and the International Court of Justice have both called on the UK to return the islands to Mauritius, affirming Mauritius’ sovereignty over the territory.
Thursday’s agreement marks a diplomatic milestone and could pave the way for further reconciliation, though the fate of the displaced Chagossians remains unresolved.
