NonilexMay 22

#UK signs agreement to hand #sovereignty of the disputed #ChagosIslands to #Mauritius

#KeirStarmer says he has signed an agreement handing over sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius.

The archipelago in the Indian Ocean is home to a strategically important naval & bomber base on the largest of the islands, Diego Garcia.

#Starmer says the agreement secures the future of a base that is “right at the foundation of our safety & security at home.”

#geopolitics
https://apnews.com/article/chagos-islands-britain-mauritius-handover-court-blocks-b6f02636c9bc858a06926090d1a8cb5c

UK agrees to hand the Chagos Islands to Mauritius in a deal it says protects a key US base

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer says he has signed an agreement handing over sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius. The archipelago in the Indian Ocean is home to a strategically important naval and bomber base on the largest of the islands, Diego Garcia. Starmer says the agreement secures the future of a base that is “right at the foundation of our safety and security at home.” Under the agreement, the U.K. will pay Mauritius an average of 101 million pounds ($136 million) a year to lease back the base for at least 99 years. The signing was delayed for several hours after a U.K. judge imposed a last-minute injunction blocking the transfer. That was later lifted by another judge.

AP News
Show threadNonilexMay 22

The #UK has agreed to hand #Mauritius the Indian Ocean archipelago, which is home to a strategically important naval & bomber base on the largest of the #ChagosIslands, Diego Garcia. The UK would then lease back the base for at least 99 years.

A judge had granted an injunction in the early hours of Thurs, blocking the British govt from taking any “conclusive or legally binding step” to hand the islands to a foreign govt.

#geopolitics #law

Show threadNonilexMay 22

The injunction came in response to a claim by 2 Chagossian women representing the islands’ original residents, who were evicted decades ago to make way for the American base. Bernadette Dugasse & Bertrice Pompe, both British citizens, fear it will become even harder to return once #Mauritius takes control of the #ChagosIslands.

After the injunction was lifted, Pompe said…,“We do not want to hand over our rights to Mauritius. We are not Mauritians.”

#geopolitics #law

Show threadM. Grégoire

@Nonilex I've been following @yuanyiz.bsky.social for a few years -- mostly on Twitter -- and he's written in several articles that this deal with #Mauritius is contrary to the wishes of the #Chagossians , as well as being unwise in other ways.

https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:gw5i7ftjrppr6ouysteqvlca/post/3lprfoahwok23

#ChagosIslands

Yuan Yi Zhu (@yuanyiz.bsky.social)

A conspicuous lack of international lawyers condeming the Chagos deal, done against the wishes and the right to self-determination of the Chagossian people.

Bluesky Social
May 22 at 5:22pmWeb