Secret discussions on resettling Chagos Islands after Starmer pauses Mauritius deal
UK Government officials are exploring alternatives to Keir Starmer’s hotly debated Mauritius agreement on the future of the Chagos Islands. Independent he understands.
An alternative plan to allow the Chagossians to resettle them is being considered behind the scenes after the Foreign Office (FCDO) confirmed that plans to ratify the treaty ceding the Indian Ocean islands to Mauritius had been paused due to US opposition.
If this happens, it would be a humiliating U-turn for the prime minister, who has agreed to give Mauritius up to £51bn to give the islands and allow the UK to continue using the vital Diego Garcia base.
It sounds like this Independent A statement by the Chagossians’ legal representatives has been seen asking the United Nations to intervene in the treaty on the grounds of “crimes against humanity”.
Chagossians’ lawyer James Tumbridge himself named Sir Keir Starmer in his submission to the UN special rapporteur following a recent legal victory saying the islanders now have the right to reside on the islands.
The problem has intensified further with four islanders led by Misley Mandarin, the first minister of the Chagossian government in exile, currently occupying one of the islands.
The legal ruling annulled previous decisions and legislation on the islands, as the judge concluded that the agreement with Mauritius established that the islands could be occupied despite the presence of the UK/US base Diego Garcia.
In addition, previous claims about the cost of resettlement were no longer valid because the judge calculated that the UK would give Mauritius £51 billion as part of the deal.
The decision of the British Indian Ocean District Court is being appealed by the British government, but it is not possible for the agreement to continue as Donald Trump withdrew his support for giving the islands to Mauritius.
The base has recently been used by the United States as a starting point for defensive actions against Iran.
In addition, the governments of the Maldives and Seychelles also claim rights over the islands, making the legal situation even more complicated.
A source told Independent: “Discussions are ongoing on changing the legal framework to allow islanders to return. This suggests that alternatives to the Mauritius agreement are being considered.”
Mr Tumbridge argued that once the Chagossians settled on the island with plans to become a British protectorate like the Falklands, it would be nearly impossible to hand them over to another country.
Mauritius’ claim was supported in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on the grounds that the islands were empty and were the administrative center of the islands during the British colonial period.
Meanwhile, the request to the UN came before the Chagossian people raised concerns about their rights over Sir Keir’s plans.
He supports the situation of the four Chagossians currently on the islands, stating that their removal would “complete the process of depopulation that began decades ago; eliminate the living link between the Chagossian people and their homeland; further entrench the ongoing violation.” [of human rights]rather than a historical event; commit a new violation; and committing a crime against humanity by forcibly depopulating an area.”
Independent Report all these issues to the government.
A Foreign Office spokesman told The Independent: “Diego Garcia is an important strategic military asset for both the UK and the US. Ensuring its long-term operational security is and will continue to be our priority; that is the sole reason for the agreement.”
“We continue to believe that the agreement is the best way to protect the long-term future of the base, but we have always said that we will only proceed with the agreement if there is US support.
“We continue relations with the USA and Mauritius.”
