‘Last-minute injunction’ then a go ahead: UK set to handover Chagos Islands to Mauritius | World News
The United Kingdom was temporarily barred from signing a sovereignty deal over the Chagos Islands with Mauritius on Thursday after a London High Court judge issued a last-minute injunction—only to later lift it, clearing the way for the agreement to proceed.
The deal, expected to be signed today, would see the UK cede sovereignty of the Chagos archipelago to Mauritius while retaining control of the strategic US-UK military base on Diego Garcia under a new 99-year lease. The base plays a critical role in Western defence operations across the Indian Ocean.
According to Reuters, the initial injunction was granted in the early hours of Thursday in response to a legal challenge filed Bernadette Dugasse and Bertrice Pompe, British nationals born on Diego Garcia. The two argued that the Chagossian community had been sidelined in the negotiations and not consulted on a deal that directly affects their ancestral homeland.
Story continues below this ad
The High Court had been scheduled to review the case at 10:30 am local time. However, in a later hearing, Justice Chamberlain ruled: “I have concluded that the stay granted Justice Goose should be discharged and there should be no further interim relief. The agreement can be concluded today and it does not necessarily have to be at 9:00.”
Responding to the court’s decision, James Eadie, representing the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, said: “My instructions from Number 10 are that we need a decision 1pm today if we are to sign today, and everybody is standing .”
As per the Reuters report, many members of the wider Chagossian diaspora, most of whom were forcibly removed from the islands over 50 years ago and now live in the UK, have also said they cannot endorse any agreement made without their input.
Critics have warned the deal could be a strategic make, suggesting it hands diplomatic leverage to China, which maintains strong trade ties with Mauritius.Story continues below this ad
British Prime Miner Keir Starmer had been expected to take part in a virtual signing ceremony with Mauritian officials, according to The Telegraph.
While as per Reuters, the UK government declined to comment on the ongoing legal proceedings, it defended the deal, saying it was “the right thing to protect the British people and the country’s national security.”
Britain detached the Chagos Islands from Mauritius in 1965—three years before Mauritius gained independence—and formed the British Indian Ocean Territory.
Under the proposed terms, Britain would pay Mauritius £3 billion ($4 billion) over the 99-year lease period. The agreement includes a potential 50-year extension and a clause giving the UK right of first refusal thereafter.Story continues below this ad
Diego Garcia, the largest island in the archipelago, has played a pivotal role in military operations, including US-UK strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen (2024–2025), humanitarian missions to Gaza, and earlier, bombing campaigns against the Taliban and al-Qaeda in Afghanan in 2001.
US President Donald Trump voiced his support for the deal in February following a meeting with Starmer in Washington. His predecessor, Joe Biden, had also backed the agreement.
© IE Online Media Services Pvt Ltd
Expand
