UN Urges UK to Reassess Chagos Islands Agreement: What It Means for the Future

A UN panel has asked the UK to reconsider its recent agreement with Mauritius regarding the Chagos Islands. They claim the deal doesn’t protect the rights of the Chagossian people. This agreement, signed just last month, returned sovereignty of the islands to Mauritius. However, the UK retains control of the military base on Diego Garcia, the largest of the islands.

The panel of independent experts from the UN Human Rights Council highlighted that the deal restricts the Chagossians’ right to return. They noted that keeping the military base prevents the Chagossians from accessing their ancestral lands. In their view, this violates the cultural rights of the community.

A Foreign Office representative said the UK-Mauritius agreement has received support from international organizations, including the UN Secretary-General. Despite this claim, the panel recommended suspending the current agreement and negotiating a new one that ensures the rights of the Chagossians are protected.

Under the current deal, the UK will pay about £101 million each year for the next 99 years to maintain the military base, which operates alongside the U.S. The Chagos Islands, located in the Indian Ocean, are about 5,800 miles southeast of the UK and 1,250 miles northeast of Mauritius. The UK acquired the islands in 1968 for £3 million, but Mauritius argues that it was unfairly pressured into giving them up to gain independence.

In the late 1960s, Chagossians were forcibly removed to make way for the military base. Many were relocated to Mauritius, the Seychelles, or moved to parts of the UK, particularly Crawley in West Sussex. Since then, they have not been allowed to return to Diego Garcia.

Before the agreement was finalized, two Chagossian women living in the UK—both born on Diego Garcia—tried unsuccessfully to stop it. They argued that the agreement failed to secure their right to return to their homeland.

The deal includes a £40 million trust fund aimed at aiding Chagossians. However, the UN panel expressed skepticism that this would truly remedy the grievances of the Chagossian people. They pointed out that the agreement lacks measures to facilitate access to cultural sites on Diego Garcia and to preserve the unique cultural heritage of the Chagossians.

In response to the criticism, a spokesperson from the Foreign Office emphasized its commitment to recognizing the importance of the islands to Chagossians. Meanwhile, Dame Priti Patel, the Shadow Foreign Secretary, criticized the deal as detrimental to both British taxpayers and the Chagossian people. She has proposed a bill in Parliament to halt the agreement and ensure that the voices of the Chagossian community are heard.

The issue highlights a long-standing debate over colonial legacies and indigenous rights. For many, the Chagossians’ plight represents a larger struggle for recognition and justice in the face of historical injustices.

As discussions continue, both the House of Commons and the House of Lords have until July 3 to decide whether to oppose the ratification of the agreement. This situation echoes a wider pattern observed in other regions where indigenous communities continue to fight for their rights amidst geopolitical interests.



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