With India's help, UK agrees to sovereignty of Mauritius over Diego Garcia
United Kingdom has agreed to sovereignty of Mauritius over the Chagos archipelago, which includes the largest US military base in the Indian Ocean at Diego Garcia and has remained a colonial legacy in the region.
In a joint statement, the UK and Mauritius said that the 'historic political agreement' has been reached with the full support and assistance of the United States of America and India. The two nations reached an agreement after two years of negotiations, following increasing concern about the Chagos archipelago being used as a route for illegal migration.
The agreement will not mark any change to the significant US military presence at Diego Garcia as it includes a 99 year clause that ensures continuation of the base.
Sources said India played a quiet but important role in the background and firmly backed the principled Mauritian position. «India has consistently supported Mauritius's claim for sovereignty over Chagos, in line with its principled stand on decolonisation and support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of nations, as well as its longstanding and close partnership with Mauritius,» an official statement by India read.
Diego Garcia is the most important US military base in the Indian Ocean and has facilities to berth large warships and operate long-range aircraft, including strategic bombers. While on paper, the UK had leased out the island to the US armed forces, Washington DC has de-facto control over it. «Negotiations have been conducted in a constructive and respectful manner,
