Starmer faces Chagos Islands sovereignty backlash
The decision to transfer sovereignty of the remote Chagos Islands, formerly known as the British Indian Ocean Territory, to Mauritius follows two years of tense negotiations.
The decision to transfer sovereignty of the remote Chagos Islands, formerly known as the British Indian Ocean Territory, to Mauritius today following two years of tense negotiations has prompted a backlash, writes Josh Schlicht.
In a joint statement with the PM of Mauritius, Keir Starmer announced that all of the archipelago’s islands will be formally handed over, with the exception of the Diego Garcia atoll, which hosts numerous ships, aircraft, and personnel of the Royal Navy and the American military.
For at least the next 99 years, Britain has been granted control over this tiny but vital sliver of sand and cement, preserving the navy’s deep-water staging point in an increasingly contested Indian Ocean.
Opposition to British jurisdiction over the isles has festered for decades since Mauritian independence in 1965. Following that move, an estimated 1500 Chagossians were expelled by the British government from the territory to make room for the strategic military base, igniting a movement for the island's “decolonisation” and the return of the displaced residents.
In recent years, pressure from activists and relentless condemnations from international organisations brought the Tory government to the negotiating table. Under Theresa May’s foreign office, £41 million was set aside for the families of the displaced.
The UK government refused to hand over the Chagos islands during the subsequent premierships of Johnson and Sunak.
Labour, prioritising what it terms “progressive realism” under Foreign Secretary David Lammy, has conceded quickly. It hailed the return of the islands as “historic”, a testament to Labour’s ability to resolve complex global disputes and pacify resentments stemming from Britain’s colonial era.
Critics see it differently. Leading Tories have condemned Lammy’s “surrender”, with leadership hopefuls Badenoch and James Cleverly denouncing the move as “weak” and putting “our vital base in the Indian Ocean at risk”. Although the talks began under Cleverly when he was foreign secretary.
Critics of Starmer’s decision point to Mauritius’ growing affinity with China, which is likely to jump at the opportunity to assert itself in the strategic island chain. Over the last few years, China has become the foremost trade and infrastructure partner for Mauritius, even signing onto a nationwide currency swap deal to bind the two nations closer together.
China’s economic ties often precede military ties. A situation could develop in which China presses for a military base in a Chagos Island location near Britain's base as they have done in Djibouti, where their naval station resides a mere 15-minute drive from a major US naval base.
Along with Djibouti, China has endeavoured to expand its military might across the Indian Ocean, with recent reports indicating that China has been stealthily pressuring the Pakistani government for a massive naval base deal.
Today’s Chagos treaty is being celebrated by Labour as a foreign policy victory, settling a multi-year dispute and mending relations with an embittered Mauritius. But China is lurking and British and US personnel may soon find themselves with Mandarin-speaking neighbours in the remote Chagos.
Josh Schlicht
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