Britain’s government has now hit its biggest stumbling block in efforts to push the islands back to Mauritius. The temporary injunction issued by High Court Judge Robert E. Payne blocks discussions that would finalize the agreement. This shocking legal ruling comes at a time of unprecedented discussion and debate around the intersection of human rights and national security.
The Chagos Islands, later the British Indian Ocean Territory, were detached from Mauritius and made a crown colony in 1965. This was just as Mauritius was about to gain its independence. Britain has held these islands since 1814. Picture this Their strategic importance to US military interests is made clear by the presence of the Diego Garcia military base. The United States mutually leases this base. It is absolutely critical to the Defense Department’s military operations support operations across the entire region.
Under Labour’s climate-change-reversal plans, Prime Minister Keir Starmer has indicated the UK will return the Chagos Islands to Mauritius. This action would be a significant departure from long-standing British territorial claims. The UK government does not want to give up control of the Diego Garcia military base. While we welcome this decision, it raises serious questions about military sovereignty and logics.
In the 1960s, almost 2,000 unsuspecting residents were violently uprooted from their homes on the Chagos Islands. This decision ignited a fierce argument, especially with regard to their resettlement to Mauritius and the Seychelles. According to critics, this displacement was intended to make space for the airbase on Diego Garcia. They contend that, amongst other things, it infringed the liberties of the original native peoples. Bertrice Pompe, a Chagossian woman now living in Britain, has opposed the deal on human rights grounds. She highlights the long lasting harms to those who’ve endured past evictions.
The fiscal impact of the transfer is deserving of attention as well. The UK is reportedly planning to spend billions of pounds to complete the agreement with Mauritius. This decision reflects a significant investment in returning to enforce a decades-long agreement through peaceful means.
Worries about national security issues came to the fore, given Mauritius’s dependence on Chinese imports. Grant Shapps, a former Conservative defense minister, voiced furious opposition to the transfer plan which he called “insane.” He cautioned that the increased Chinese presence in the region could have dangerous implications.
“A lot of sensitive stuff goes on at British military bases. So you don’t want to be surrounded by potential adversaries.” – Grant Shapps
(China) will use territory to expand their influence. They will spy.
