UK Officially Signs Agreement to Transfer Sovereignty of Chagos Islands to Mauritius

The British Prime Minister, Starmer, signed an agreement on the 22nd, officially transferring the sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius.

According to the agreement, the Diego Garcia military base in the area will be leased to the UK and the US by Mauritius.

Starmer said the reason for deciding to sign was "highly confidential." Without the agreement, Mauritius might have taken the UK to the international court, where the UK would likely lose and face additional penalties.

He stated the agreement was first mentioned last autumn, with the UK agreeing to pay its former colony £101 million annually (approximately RM578 million) for leasing the base for 99 years.

He said, “In the interest of the UK’s national interests, we had no choice but to agree to this agreement. Considering inflation factors, the net cost over the lease period will be around £3.4 billion.”

The signing of the agreement was temporarily halted by the UK High Court on the early morning of the 22nd, but the court revoked the ban after a hearing that afternoon.

US Secretary of State Rubio welcomed the signing of the agreement on social media, calling it a “historic agreement.”

The Chagos Islands are located in the southwestern Indian Ocean, approximately 750 kilometers northeast of Mauritius. Mauritius was forced to cede the Chagos Islands to the British colonial authorities in 1965. The following year, the UK leased the main island, Diego Garcia, to the US to build an airbase, displacing about 2,000 residents.

Mauritian Prime Minister Jugnauth stated that the agreement signed with Britain on the 22nd acknowledges Mauritius’s sovereignty over the entire Chagos archipelago, including Diego Garcia Island, marking a “great victory” for Mauritius.

In a televised speech, he emphasized that this was the result of Mauritius’s 60-year struggle, which concluded the decolonization process that began with Mauritius’s independence in 1968.

UN Secretary-General Welcomes Agreement Signing

Spokesperson Dujarric of UN Secretary-General Guterres said on the 22nd that Guterres welcomes the agreement signed between the UK and Mauritius regarding the Chagos Islands.

Dujarric stated in a declaration that the agreement represents an important step towards resolving this longstanding dispute and demonstrates the value of diplomatic means in resolving historical grievances.

Guterres urged both parties to continue engaging in constructive discussions, ensuring the rights and aspirations of the Chagos Islands’ residents are fully respected and upheld. The UN is willing to assist both parties in this process.