Chagos Islands returned to Mauritius, but tensions over evictions persist

After decades of legal battles, Britain has agreed to return the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, a former colony. The remote Indian Ocean archipelago will continue to host a US military base, but Chagossians exiled to make way for the base in the 1960s and 70s are questioning whether the deal can truly rectify past wrongs.

Located several hundred kilometres south of the Maldives, the Chagos Islands were colonised by France in the 18th century, ceded to Britain in 1814 and merged with Mauritius in 1903. In 1965 Britain separated the Chagos islands from the rest of Mauritius, paying £3 million for them, the equivalent of around £50 million (€59 million) today. In 1966, Britain leased the islands to the United States for 50 years to set up a military base on Diego Garcia island. That deal was renewed in 2016.

The base is used by US long-range bombers and ships and was notably used during the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Despite the enthusiasm from officials that the deal will resolve “wrongs of the past”, not everyone is satisfied. One ongoing issue is the plight of local people who were forced into exile when the military base was built.