UK court clears the way for a deal to hand over Chagos Islands to Mauritius

The British government is reportedly expected to conclude a deal to transfer sovereignty over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius after a High Court judge lifted a temporary block.

Early on Thursday, the court had imposed an injunction postponing Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s virtual signing ceremony with Mauritian representatives.

But Judge Martin Chamberlain lifted the injunction following a hearing later on Thursday, clearing the way for the United Kingdom to sign the multibillion-dollar deal to cede sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius.

A report by Aljazeera stated that the UK government welcomed the ruling, saying “this deal is vital to protect the British people and our national security.”

The UK has agreed to hand Mauritius the Indian Ocean archipelago, home to a strategically important naval and bomber base on the largest of the islands, Diego Garcia.

The UK would then lease back the base for at least 99 years.

The agreement was due to be signed by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his Mauritian counterpart Navin Ramgoolam at a virtual ceremony on Thursday morning.

But a judge granted an injunction early on Thursday, putting a hold on the agreement. It came in response to a claim by two Chagossian women representing the islands’ original residents, who were evicted decades ago to make way for the United States base.

Bernadette Dugasse and Bertrice Pompe, both British citizens, fear it will become even harder to return once Mauritius takes control of the islands.

High Court judge Julian Goose had blocked the UK government from taking any “conclusive or legally binding step to conclude its negotiations” to hand over the territory to a foreign government.

The UK, which has controlled the region since 1814, separated the Chagos Islands in 1965 from Mauritius to create the British Indian Ocean Territory.

WARNING! All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express permission from ZAMBIA MONITOR.