Four Chagossians return to islands in attempt to stop British transfer to Mauritius | Chagos Islands
Four Chagos Islanders have landed on one of the archipelago’s atolls to establish what they say will be a permanent settlement, in a bid to complicate a British plan to cede the territory to Mauritius.
Mauritius’ attorney general said the move was a publicity stunt designed to create conflict over a 2025 agreement with Britain on the transfer of sovereignty of the British Indian Ocean Territory, which is opposed by some Chagossians who accuse Mauritius of decades of neglect. Mauritius denied the accusations.
Under the agreement, Britain will cede control of the islands to Mauritius, but will lease the largest, Diego Garcia, for 99 years to continue operating a joint US-UK military base there.
Misley Mandarin, the leader of the four who landed on the remote Île du Coin atoll on Monday, said they were living in tents. He said they expect 10 more to arrive next week and many more next year.
Mandarin, who was born in Mauritius, told Reuters he was accompanied by his 74-year-old father, Michel Mandarin, and was removed from the island at the age of 14.
“I am not in exile any more. This is my homeland,” he said, adding that he wanted to make it possible for the 322 people who he claimed were born on Ile du Coin and still alive “to come home before they die”.
He tried to reassure the United States that the deal did not threaten the military base in Diego Garcia.
In the 1960s and 1970s, some 2,000 Chagossians were forcibly removed from the archipelago and resettled mostly in Mauritius and Britain; many wanted the right to return to their homeland.
The UN’s committee on the elimination of apartheid has urged Britain and Mauritius not to ratify the 2025 agreement, saying it risks perpetuating historic rights violations.
Mauritius attorney general Gavin Glover told Radio Plus the group had landed illegally, describing the move as “a publicity stunt to create a conflict situation with the British government”.
He said Mauritius would not exercise jurisdiction over the Chagos Islands until the agreement was ratified.
Earlier this month, Donald Trump softened his criticism of Britain’s plan to return the Chagos Islands, saying the deal was the “best” thing Keir Starmer could have done.
Just last month, the US president described giving up sovereignty “an act of great stupidity.” He also claimed that the deal was one of many “national security reasons” for the US to purchase Greenland.
Following his phone call with Starmer, Trump wrote on Truth Social that Diego Garcia is “strategically located in the middle of the Indian Ocean and is therefore of great importance to the National Security of the United States.”
He said US military operations have been successful over the past year: “Thanks to the strength of our warriors, the modern capability of our equipment and, most importantly, the strategic location of our Military Bases.”
“I understand that Prime Minister Starmer has, in many people’s opinion, made the best deal he could have made.”
But Trump added: “I reserve the right to militarily secure and strengthen the American presence in Diego Garcia if the lease breaks down at some point in the future or if anyone threatens or endangers U.S. operations and forces at our Base.
“Let it be known that I will never allow our presence at such an important Base to be undermined or threatened by false claims or environmental nonsense.”
