Celebrations and protests alike broke this week when the UK announced the transfer of the Chagos Archipelago, its last African overseas territory, to Mauritius, a neighboring country of islands in the Indian Ocean. The islands had been subject to a decades-long dispute, after the UK paid Mauritius £3 million for it to renounce its claims on the archipelago, in a move some say was forced upon Mauritius as a prerequisite for its independence. Thus, this transfer ends a large point of contention for the UK’s international presence, albeit with much controversy at home.

Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth of Mauritius addresses the General Assembly meeting on the request for an advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice on the legal consequences of the separation of the Chagos Archipelago from Mauritius. UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe. UN News 2024
The History of the UK’s Possession of the Islands
The islands had remained almost entirely uninhabited before they were claimed by the French in the 1700s, who brought slaves from Africa to create coconut oil plantations on the archipelago. After Napoleon’s defeat, the islands, along with Mauritius, were ceded to Great Britain in the Treaty of Paris in 1814. From that point on, all British possessions in the Indian Ocean were ruled together, until 1903 when the Seychelles were split off to help govern each colony better.
Following this split, the islands were grouped as one until the eventual independence of Mauritius. However, during this time, in the midst of the Cold War, the United States realized the strategic importance of the island’s location, and with the UK’s permission, constructed a military base on one of the largest islands in the archipelago, Diego Garcia. In the process, at the US’ behest, the UK expelled the Chagossians, descendants of slaves brought to the islands by the British and French, who had inhabited the islands for centuries.
The forced relocation of the roughly 2,000 Chagossians remains a major embarrassment of British international behavior in the decades since decolonization, with some hoping this move could help rectify that. The Chagossians were moved primarily to Mauritius, the Seychelles, and the UK. Despite the British government taking steps to conceal the removal at the time, eventually, it became known, to the dismay of the UK, whose international reputation was blighted by this violation of international law. Despite their removal, the Chagossians have always fought for their right to return, using a variety of legal and other methods. The dispute over the islands’ sovereignty became more well-known recently, with Mauritius using international forums to help solidify its claim. The International Court of Justice said in a 2019 non-binding opinion that the UK ought to return the islands to Mauritius, an opinion strengthened by a UN General Assembly Resolution in 2021.
The Importance of Diego Garcia
While technically, this deal gives Mauritius sovereignty over the full archipelago, it does stipulate that Diego Garcia and the US Military Base on it shall remain under the control of the US on a 99-year renewable lease, now with Mauritius rather than the UK. The US sees the Diego Garcia base as key to its operations in the region, and likely would not have supported a deal that did not ensure its continued use of the facilities. The base has been used for a variety of purposes since its construction in the 1970s, from surveillance flights to bombing missions, and serves as part of the US military doctrine of “unsinkable aircraft carriers”, or airbases on tiny islands in geopolitically strategic locations. While the handover of the islands to Mauritius may seem to put the base’s status in peril, many believe that resolving the debate will actually help solidify the base’s legal standing.

The US Military Base on Diego Garcia, the largest island in the Chagos Archipelago. U.S. Federal Government. Wikimedia 2006.
The Cessation’s Reception in Great Britain and Abroad
As with much pertaining to the remnants of the former British Empire, the announcement of the cessation brought about much controversy in the UK. Some decried the transfer as illegitimate, saying that Mauritius had no real claim to the archipelago since they were originally uninhabited and the Chagossians weren’t related to ethnic Mauritians, in addition to decrying a perceived lack of involvement of the Chagossians in the negotiations. Others said the deal was handing a gateway to the region to China, fearing Mauritius’ close economic ties with China would lead to the Chinese being given access to the archipelago, allowing them to spy on the Diego Garcia base and control the crucial shipping lanes located nearby. Some members of the opposition Tory party criticized the ruling Labor government and Prime Minister Keir Starmer for giving the islands away but were quickly rebuked given that the negotiations for the handover began during the administration of short-lived Tory Prime Minister Liz Truss.
However, not all feedback was negative. Many said the handover was ending a period of great embarrassment and incorrect behavior of the UK, and that it would help make up for the forced relocation of the Chagossians. Furthermore, international organizations and countries received the news with open arms; the UN congratulated the countries on the peaceful resolution of the long-standing issue, the US welcomed the diplomatic solution, and the African Union applauded the UK’s continued decolonization.
The handover marks an important milestone in the UK’s journey away from being an imperial power; for the first time, the sun will set on the British empire. As this chapter in British history closes, some are looking at the past, but others are looking forward, signaling that the issue of Britain’s colonialist past will remain important for years to come as Britain undergoes a fundamental change in its place in the world order.
Featured image: Island in the Chagos Archipelago. iStock. The Spectator 2024.