UK-Mauritius Chagos archipelago agreement: India played quiet but crucial role in deal, says report

The Indian government played a quiet but crucial role in the background of the Chagos archipelago agreement between the United Kingdom (UK) and Mauritius, the news agency ANI reported on Thursday (Oct 3) citing sources. 

India firmly backed the principled Mauritian position, supporting its stance on the need to do away with the last vestiges of decolonisation. However, it also encourages both countries to negotiate with an open mind and to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes.

One of the sources told ANI that New Delhi believed that the final outcome was a win for all sides involved and would reinforce long-term security in the Indian Ocean region.

New Delhi's remarks came after the UK announced that it would hand over sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, paving the way for displaced islanders to return.

However, London maintained its right to use the military base on Diego Garcia.

In a joint statement, the UK and Mauritius said, "The treaty will address wrongs of the past and demonstrate the commitment of both parties to support the welfare of Chagossians. Mauritius will now be free to implement a programme of resettlement on the islands of the Chagos Archipelago, other than Diego Garcia, and the UK will capitalise a new trust fund, as well as separately provide other support, for the benefit of Chagossians."

Notably, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) had previously spoken for the UK  to cede the island territory back to Mauritius in 2019.

The UK had controlled the region since 1814 and had detached the Chagos Islands in 1965 from Mauritius to create the British Indian Ocean Territory. In the early 1970s, the UK evicted almost 2,000 residents to Mauritius and Seychelles to make way for an airbase on the largest island, Diego Garcia, which it had leased to the United States (US) in 1966.

On Thursday, US President Joe Biden praised the agreement, calling it a "historic settlement" that resolved the long-standing sovereignty dispute between the UK and Mauritius over the Chagos Islands.

“It is a clear demonstration that through diplomacy and partnership, countries can overcome long-standing historical challenges to reach peaceful and mutually beneficial outcomes,” President Biden said in a statement.