UK seems ready to return its ‘last African colony’

Will the dispute over the Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean finally end? The UK has consistently asserted for decades that it is the rightful owner of the so-called British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT).

But the incident appears to be on November 3, 2022 when Foreign Secretary James Cleverly declare The United Kingdom (UK) has entered into negotiations with Mauritius ‘in the exercise of sovereignty’ over the ‘Chagos Archipelago/BIOT’ and expects a resolution in early 2023.

The Chagos Islands comprise more than 60 islands in the Indian Ocean about 2,000 km north of Mauritius – and only about 1,000 km south of the Maldives. But it used to be part of the British colony of Mauritius – until 1965 when the British left, in fact, bought it from Mauritius before independence in 1968.

London did this to allow the United States (US) to build a military base on the largest Chagos island, Diego Garcia. Washington needs not only Diego Garcia but the entire archipelago to be uninhabited by locals. And Britain obliged – reportedly in exchange for a US$14 million discount on US Polaris missiles – by forcing the removal of all Chagossians to Mauritius, Seychelles and the UK.

The suffering Chagossians have since been allowed to return to their homes. They also want to be financially supported to do so and receive compensation for having been deprived of their homeland for more than 50 years.

A Human Rights Watch (HRW) report published last month accused Britain and the US of committing ‘crimes against humanity’ against the Chagos people. He called for a full and fair investigation into those responsible.

The report, which referred to the Chagos as ‘the last British colony in Africa’, noted that Britain had for years paid compensation to some Chagossians living in Mauritius. However, it says that almost no compensation has been paid to all displaced islanders for the injustices they have suffered – and now it must be done.

Britain has so far been swimming against the international tide. The International Court of Justice of February 25, 2019 and the UN General Assembly Resolution 73/295 are clear that the Chagos Islands are an integral part of the territory of Mauritius. Britain rejected the court’s opinion and the General Assembly’s resolution demanding that it leave the Chagos by November 2019, drawing condemnation from Mauritius, the African Union and others.

Now London seems to have changed, although the content and progress of the talks remain secret. But many questions remain, especially about possible differences between the interests of Mauritius and the Chagossians.

Mauritian MP Muhammad Reza Uteem from the opposition Mouvement Militant Mauricien told ISS Today that he believes Britain is planning a referendum among the scattered Chagossians. It will ask them if they wanted the Chagos Islands to remain British; to return to Mauritius; or become independent. Mauritius categorically rejected the referendum, he said, because sovereignty over the Chagos was ‘non-negotiable.’

But he admits that most Chagossians, if offered the choice, would choose to remain part of Britain simply because Britain has more resources.

Milan Meetarbhan, a constitutional expert and former Mauritian ambassador to the UN who was previously part of the Mauritian legal team arguing this issue, told ISS Today that there was no official mention of the referendum. He suggested that the UK could float the possibility as leverage in the negotiations.

However, he said that Mauritius was reluctant to use the term ‘Chagos people’ – as HRW clearly did in its report – because it implied that the Chagossians had a right to independence. Asked if there was a significant difference between the interests of Mauritius and the Chagossians in this matter, he suggested that there was no single Chagossian interest because society had become divided. He said many Chagossians seem to have settled there.

Some people in Mauritius may want to return to the Chagos, but they wonder if this is a viable option. “I don’t see them parting ways with the government of Mauritius. [Although] This has become a very strong political and emotional issue, I don’t see this new generation that has lived in a very different situation. [world] going back and starting from scratch because there is no economic activity in all the other islands of the archipelago (other than Diego Garcia). But I can understand why they always ask for it. It is a genuine interest.’

There are also differences between Mauritius and the Chagossians through Diego Garcia. Mauritius has made it clear that if it can seize the Chagos Islands, it will be ready to extend the American lease on the military base. But it also suggested that the Chagossians were allowed to return to the other islands of the archipelago, this excluding Diego Garcia. The people who came from the island have insisted that they should get the right to return.

Meetarbhan believes that Britain can resolve its sovereignty dispute with Mauritius as part of a wider security framework for its strategic part of the Indian Ocean. He noted that in a statement on November 3, 2022, Cleverly, for the first time, recognized India’s interest in the issue, as well as increasing the security dimension. He said the agreement would allow the UK and Mauritius to strengthen their cooperation on security in the Indian Ocean, working with key regional allies.

Wrapping the return of the Chagos Archipelago to Mauritius in a broader security package that includes the US and India could be a salutary tactic for London to avoid being seen as backwards, Meetarbhan suggested. And to avoid setting a precedent for similar situations in the Falklands and Gibraltar.

It could also be a cover for Mauritius which has ceded territory to the US – and India, to which Mauritius appears to have secretly handed over the island of Agalega 1000 km to the north – for military purposes. Uteem suggests India is being roped in as an ally of Mauritius to strengthen its claim against the Maldives on maritime jurisdiction in the waters around the Chagos islands.

It is clear that the interests of Mauritius and the Chagossians are not all aligned. Thus, HRW insists that the Chagossians must be fully consulted in the negotiations on the future of their homeland.

But Cleverly’s statement – despite mentioning that the purpose of the negotiations was ‘to resolve all outstanding issues, including those related to the former inhabitants of the Chagos Islands’ – also made it clear that he was not part of the official negotiations.

---

Also read: Mauritius raises flag in Chagos Archipelago, says it has been reclaimed

---

Uteem’s putative referendum shows it may not be the way to seek opinion. However, it is difficult to justify not bringing the Chagossians formally into the negotiations. He is, after all, the main sufferer in this saga.

Peter Fabricius, Consultant, Institute for Security Studies (ISS) Pretoria

(This article was first published by ISS Today, Premium Times’ syndication partner. We have permission to republish).