• The United Kingdom announced that agreement has been reached to hand over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, ending decades of dispute and negotiation over Britain’s last African colony. 

• Under the new agreement, Mauritius will regain sovereignty over the Chagos Islands, except for Diego Garcia, which will remain under U.S. control for 99 more years. 

• Diego Garcia is strategically important, housing a US military base that has played a key role in various military operations. The base will continue to operate, while Mauritius will be allowed to legally resettle other islands in the archipelago, which have remained uninhabited since the 1970s.

Chagos Islands

• The Chagos Archipelago, located in the Indian Ocean, was separated from Mauritius by the UK in 1965, three years before Mauritius gained independence. 

• This move had long been contested, as it involved the forced displacement of around 1,500 Chagossians, who were exiled to Mauritius, Seychelles, and the UK to make way for a US military base on Diego Garcia, the largest of the islands.

• The Chagos archipelago comprises 58 islands, with Diego Garcia being the largest and most significant.

Colonial history of Chagos Islands

• The colonial history of the Chagos Islands began in the 16th century when Portuguese navigators first discovered and mapped the archipelago, naming some of the islands.  However, they did not establish any settlements. 

• The Dutch were the next to explore the islands, but like the Portuguese, they did not occupy the territory.

• The Chagos Islands later came under French control, alongside Mauritius and Reunion. 

• The French, during their colonisation, renamed several islands and established coconut plantations, using enslaved labor from Madagascar and Mozambique. 

• Additionally, labourers from southern India were brought to work on the plantations.

• After the defeat of Napoleon in 1814, the French ceded the Chagos Islands, along with Mauritius, to the British under the Treaty of Paris. This marked the beginning of British control, which continued until the recent agreement to return the islands to Mauritius.

Strategic importance of Chagos Archipelago

i) Geostrategic Location: Situated in the central Indian Ocean, the Chagos Islands provide a valuable position for monitoring key shipping routes and ensuring maritime security. This location allows for the projection of military power and control over a wide region, including the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia.

ii) UK-US Military Base: The largest island, Diego Garcia, hosts a crucial joint military base for the UK and the US. It serves as a logistical, surveillance, and intelligence hub, playing a pivotal role in global military operations, particularly those in the Indian Ocean, the Middle East, and beyond. Diego Garcia’s strategic importance is vital for both nations in maintaining regional stability and supporting global military operations.

iii) Environmental and Biodiversity Significance: The Chagos Archipelago is home to one of the world’s largest coral atolls and boasts rich marine biodiversity. Its relatively untouched environment is a hotspot for scientific research and conservation, playing a key role in global efforts to study and protect marine ecosystems. This biodiversity makes it not only environmentally significant but also valuable for ecological preservation.

(The author is a trainer for Civil Services aspirants.)