U.K. Set to Transfer Control of Chagos Islands Amid Legal Ruling
The U.K. has agreed to transfer control of the Chagos Islands following a non-binding ruling from the International Court of Justice, which called for the return of Chagossians removed between 1968 and 1973 to establish the Diego Garcia base, ending years of legal uncertainty, reports 24brussels.
Critics from the conservative faction in the U.K. view the deal as detrimental, arguing that it places strategically important territory into the hands of a nation with ties to China and fails to offer adequate value for British taxpayers.
Shortly after the deal was established, De Mauley’s committee initiated an investigation into the implications of the transfer. An annex to de Mauley’s letter to Foreign Secretary David Lammy, published Thursday, states, “Things can change significantly over a span of 99 years, including in ways that cannot be predicted.” The agreement allows for a renewal after an initial 99-year term for another 40 years, yet it raised concerns regarding “no assurance of renewal,” which depends on the goodwill of future Mauritian governments and U.K. intentions.
While De Mauley’s committee was assured that the Agreement preserves current operational freedoms, he emphasized the need for the government to be “vigilant and proactive” in light of China’s expanding military presence in the Indian Ocean.
Furthermore, he highlighted the importance of “public messaging on the strategic benefits of the base,” stressing that the government should remain “alert to attempts by hostile powers that may wish to leverage this to erode public support for the U.K.’s presence on Diego Garcia.”
