The Labour government’s bid to transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, aiming to end a decades-long dispute, has ignited a firestorm. Chagossian islanders have launched a legal battle to block the move, while Conservatives slam Labour for “selling out British interests.” The Diego Garcia UK-US military base lies at the heart of the row, and a High Court injunction on 22 May 2025 (later lifted) has left the handover in limbo. With no confirmed transfer date, the Chagos Islands’ fate hangs in the balance, entangled in colonial scars and geopolitical chess.
Colonial Wounds: The Chagos Tragedy
The Chagos Islands, a cluster of over 60 islets in the Indian Ocean, 2,200 km from Mauritius, are anchored by Diego Garcia, home to a critical UK-US military base. In the 18th century, French colonisers established coconut plantations, bringing African slaves and Indian labourers, forging the Chagossians’ unique Creole culture. In 1814, the Treaty of Paris ceded the islands, alongside Mauritius, to Britain, embedding them in the colonial empire.
In 1965, as Mauritius neared independence, Britain detached the Chagos Islands to form the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT), paving the way for a US military base on Diego Garcia. Between 1967 and 1973, Britain forcibly evicted some 1,500 to 2,000 Chagossians, using brutal tactics—cutting food supplies and killing pets—to drive them to Mauritius and the Seychelles. Uprooted Chagossians faced poverty, discrimination, and cultural loss, fuelling their decades-long fight for return and reparations.
UK-US Base: Indian Ocean’s Strategic Stronghold
The Diego Garcia military base is central to the Chagos dispute. In 1966, Britain leased the island to the US for 50 years (extended to 2036), with the base operational by 1971. A linchpin for US operations in the Middle East, Asia-Pacific, and Africa—supporting conflicts like Afghanistan and Iraq—it boasts a deep-water port, airfield, and advanced communications systems, hosting about 2,000 US personnel and a small British contingent.
The base’s strategic clout is unmatched, monitoring Indian Ocean shipping lanes, enabling B-52 bombers, drones, and nuclear submarines, and cementing the UK-US alliance. The proposed handover retains a 99-year lease for the base, but critics question the security of long-term control.
Handover Storm: Chagossians’ Defiance
Labour’s deal with Mauritius would cede Chagos sovereignty, allowing Mauritius to resettle Chagossians on islands excluding Diego Garcia, while securing the UK-US base lease. Backed by a 2019 International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling deeming UK control unlawful and a UN resolution urging return, the plan has sparked outrage at home.
Chagossians fiercely oppose the handover. On 22 May 2025, two Diego Garcia-born women, Bernadette Dugasse and Bertrice Pompe, sued in the High Court to stop it. Their grievances include:
- Sidelined Voices: The group Chagossian Voices decries being excluded from UK-Mauritius talks, branding their homeland a “bargaining chip.”
- Distrust in Mauritius: Many Chagossians, holding British citizenship but not Mauritian, fear ethnic or identity-based discrimination under Mauritian rule, haunted by past poverty in Mauritius.
- Broken Return Hopes: The deal lacks firm guarantees for return, with Diego Garcia off-limits, crushing dreams of homecoming.
- Unresolved Justice: Viewing their eviction as a “crime against humanity,” Chagossians demand reparations and apologies, fearing the handover lets Britain dodge accountability.
Labour Accused of “Selling Out”?
Conservatives have unleashed a barrage, accusing Labour of betraying national interests. Key criticisms include:
- Strategic Risk: Diego Garcia underpins UK-US dominance in the Indian Ocean. Tory MP Tom Tugendhat warns sovereignty transfer could destabilise base control, weakening Britain’s global clout.
- “China Threat” Card: Some baselessly claim Mauritius could fall under Chinese influence, jeopardling fears of compromised base security.
- Financial Burden: The deal’s £1.01 billion annual lease cost (totalling £34 billion over 99 years, inflation-adjusted) has Tories questioning its value to taxpayers.
Labour counters that the deal aligns with international law, secures the base, and advances decolonisation. Prime Minister Keir Starmer insists: “This rights a historic wrong.”
Latest Twist: Handover in Doubt
On 22 May 2025, Starmer signed the handover treaty, committing to hefty lease payments, but a High Court injunction triggered by Chagossian lawsuits briefly halted progress. Though lifted, the transfer date remains unset, pending legal and international hurdles. Some 10,000 Chagossians, scattered across Mauritius, the Seychelles, and Britain, vow to “fight on” for self-determination and justice.
Uncertain Horizon
The Chagos saga weaves colonial guilt, Chagossian rights, and superpower strategy. The Diego Garcia base’s fate reverberates globally, while Labour navigates international law, domestic backlash, and islander pleas. As legal battles and political storms rage, the Indian Ocean islets’ future remains shrouded in uncertainty.
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