New Delhi: The small Indian Ocean island nation of Mauritius has a huge dispute with a major world power like the UK over territorial claims for a group of seven atolls comprising more than 60 islands collectively called the Chagos Archipelago. And India is supporting Mauritius’s claim. This was reiterated by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday during his ongoing two-day visit to Mauritius.
“As we look at our deep and enduring relationship, Prime Minister, I would like to again assure you today that on the issue of Chagos, India will continue its consistent support to Mauritius in line with its principal stand on decolonisation and support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of nations,” Jaishankar said during a joint address to the media with Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth.
Mauritius Foreign Minister Maneesh Gobin also appreciated the support extended by India to Mauritius’s claim over the Chagos Archipelago. “We express our deep gratitude to @DrSJaishankar for reaffirming #India consistent support to #Mauritius regarding the #ChagosArchipelago, in alignment with India’s principled stance on #decolonisation, #sovereignty, and #TerritorialIntegrity,” Gobin posted on X (formerly known as Twitter).
So, what is the Chagos Archipelago?
The Chagos Archipelago or Chagos Islands (earlier known as the Bassas de Chagas, and later the Oil Islands) is a group of seven atolls comprising more than 60 islands in the Indian Ocean about 500 km south of the Maldives archipelago. This chain of islands is the southernmost archipelago of the Chagos–Laccadive Ridge, a long submarine mountain range in the Indian Ocean. In its north are the Salomon Islands, Nelsons Island and Peros Banhos; towards its southwest are the Three Brothers, Eagle Islands, Egmont Islands and Danger Island; southeast of these is Diego Garcia, by far the largest island. All are low-lying atolls, save for a few extremely small instances, situated around lagoons.
The Archipelago is known for its rich marine biodiversity
The archipelago is known for its rich marine biodiversity, including coral reefs, fish and other marine life. The waters around the islands are some of the healthiest coral reefs in the world. The islands themselves host a variety of bird species and coconut crabs, although terrestrial biodiversity is relatively limited.
The Chagos Islands had been home to the Chagossians from the 1700s brought as slaves by the French from Africa and India, a Bourbonnais Creole-speaking people, until the UK expelled them from the archipelago at the request of the US between 1967 and 1973 to allow Washington to build Naval Support Facility Diego Garcia, a military base on Diego Garcia, on land leased from the UK military in the British Indian Ocean Territories. Since 1971, only the atoll of Diego Garcia has been inhabited, and only by employees of the US military, including American civilian contracted personnel. Since being expelled, Chagossians, like all others not permitted by the UK or the US governments, have been prevented from entering the islands.
When Mauritius was a French colony, the Chagos Islands were a dependency of the French administration in Mauritius. By the Treaty of Paris of 1814, France ceded Mauritius and its dependencies to the UK.
What is the Chagos Archipelago dispute and Mauritius’s claim?
Sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago is disputed between Mauritius and the UK. The archipelago was detached from Mauritius by the UK in 1965, three years before Mauritius gained independence in 1968. The detachment and subsequent establishment of the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) have been contested by Mauritius as a violation of international law and its territorial integrity.
Mauritius has repeatedly stated that the Chagos Archipelago is part of its territory and that the UK’s claim is a violation of UN resolutions banning the dismemberment of colonial territories before independence. On May 22, 2019, the UN General Assembly adopted a non-binding resolution declaring that the archipelago was part of Mauritius; 116 countries, including India, voted in favour of Mauritius while six opposed it.
The UK government has declared that it has “no doubt” about its sovereignty over the Chagos, yet has also said that the Chagos will be returned to Mauritius once the islands are no longer required for military purposes. Given the absence of any meaningful progress with the UK, Mauritius took up the matter at various legal and political forums.
On November 3, 2022, it was announced that the UK and Mauritius had decided to begin negotiations on sovereignty over the British Indian Ocean Territory, taking into account the international legal proceedings. In December 2023, it was reported that the UK government was planning to discontinue the talks.
Why is India supporting Mauritius on its claim over the Chagos Archipelago?