
Chagos Archipelago is shownon the map. Screenshot from the video “The Chagos Archipelago returns to Mauritius on the Tv5monde YouTube Channel
After decades of political conflict, the United Kingdom will finally return the Chagos Archipelago to Mauritius. However, the Chagossian people’s identity and resettlement remain unresolved.
The Chagos Archipelago is an integral part of Mauritius, an island nation in East Africa. Three years before the country gained its independence on March 12, 1968, the UK government separated the Chagos Archipelago from Mauritius, making it a British overseas territory. In 1973, the UK deported the inhabitants to other British islands to establish military bases in collaboration with the United States and coordinate joint military efforts from the Diego Garcia base, a remote Chagos island in the Indian Ocean.
Calls for its return
Since 1998, the Chagossian people have made a series of demands: increased expulsion compensation, the right to return to their land, and the right to obtain British nationality. The British government has ignored all of these demands.
However, this long-standing conflict came to an end by putting pressure on the United Kingdom. The United Nations General Assembly supported Mauritius in its conflict with London. As the United Kingdom refused to recognize Mauritius’ sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) initiated proceedings. In May 2020, the UN published a world map clearly showing the Chagos Archipelago as a territory belonging to Mauritius.
In January 2023, the United Kingdom began negotiations with Mauritius. The two countries reached an agreement in October 2024. According to the agreement, the Mauritian authorities can resettle the Chagossian people on islands other than Diego Garcia, where the military bases are located.
Dans l’exercice de sa souveraineté sur l’archipel des Chagos, Maurice est libre de mettre en œuvre un programme de réinstallation sur les îles de l’archipel des Chagos autres que Diego Garcia. Cette réinstallation sera mise en œuvre conformément aux termes du présent Accord et aux lois mauriciennes.
In exercising its sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago, Mauritius is free to implement a resettlement program on islands other than Diego Garcia. This resettlement will be conducted in accordance with the terms of this Agreement and Mauritian law.
Environmental issues also figure in this agreement, which stipulates:
Les Parties coopéreront sur d’autres questions relatives à la protection de l’environnement, notamment en ce qui concerne les déversements d’hydrocarbures et autres, ainsi que la pêche illicite, non déclarée et non réglementée.
Both parties shall cooperate in environmental protection matters, including oil and other spills and illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing.
The United Kingdom is authorized to continue operating on the Diego Garcia Island for military operations. On May 22, 2025, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer told Radio France Internationale (RFI):
…j'ai signé un accord pour sécuriser la base commune Royaume-Uni-États-Unis sur Diego Garcia. Ceci est absolument essentiel pour notre défense et notre renseignement et donc pour la sécurité du peuple britannique.
I have signed an agreement to secure the joint UK-US base on Diego Garcia. This is critically important for our defense and intelligence and, therefore, the security of the British people.
Under this agreement, the United Kingdom must contribute annually to Mauritius. The aforementioned RFI article quoted this historic agreement as stating:
le Royaume-Uni dispose d'un bail de 99 ans sur Diego Garcia – avec une option de prolongation – moyennant le paiement annuel de 101 millions de livres (140 millions de dollars américains], soit 3,4 milliards de livres [4.5 milliards de dollars américains], au total.
The United Kingdom has a 99-year lease on Diego Garcia for an average of GBP 101 million (USD 140 million) a year or GBP 3.4 billion (4.5 billion) in total.
This return is welcome news in Mauritius. Prime Minister Navin’s government was happy to see the dream become a reality. Olivier Bancoult, leader of the Chagos Refugees Group, who made the return his personal mission, told TV5Monde Afrique about his excitement for the return of his homeland that he left at four years old:
When asked if he would consider moving to the Chagos Archipelago, Olivier Bancoult answered:
…absolument, c'est ce que nous rêvons. Je suis née à Peros Banhos mais je n'ai jamais eu l'occasion de donner la chance à mes enfants de voir comment est cette île. Tout comme, les autres Chagossiens aussi y rêvent.
Absolutely, it’s what we dream of doing. I was born in Peros Banhos and, like other Chagossians, I have never had the opportunity to show my children what the island is like.
Debate surrounding Chagossian identity
However, all is not resolved. Many Chagossians living on British territory for decades don’t consider this agreement a victory in their struggle for access to their homeland and complete sovereignty. Bertrice Pompe, a representative for the inhabitants of the Chagos Islands, told Africa News (0:25):
We are human beings. We have rights. We are British citizens, yet our rights do not count? We do not want to hand over our rights to Mauritius. We are not Mauritian and I do not think we will get the rights we are asking for, that we have been fighting for for 60 years I don't think the Mauritians will give that to us.
According to Pompe, as Chagossians don’t consider themselves Mauritian, this agreement jeopardizes their rights. Handing their rights over to Mauritius is out of the question for them.
Frankie Bontemps, Chair of the Chagossian Voices community platform, continued in the same vein. In an RFI interview, he said:
Pour nous, ce n'est pas une victoire. Aujourd'hui, nous sommes ignorés comme nos parents et nos grands parents l'ont été… Nous, Chagossiens, nous considérons comme un peuple autochtone qui n'a rien à voir avec les Mauriciens : nous avons notre propre langue, notre créole n'est pas le même que le créole de l'île Maurice. Nos traditions culinaires, nos danses… tout est complètement différent ! Alors que nous avons le sentiment d'être traités comme des citoyens de seconde zone, nous avons aussi l'impression d'avoir été trahis par les deux gouvernements [mauricien et britannique]…
For us, this isn’t a victory. Today, we are ignored, like our parents and grandparents once were. We Chagossians consider ourselves to be Indigenous people who have nothing to do with Mauritians. We have our own language, Chagossian Creole, which differs from Mauritian Creole. Everything about us, from our culinary traditions to our dances, is entirely different! Just as we feel that we’re treated like second-class citizens, we also feel like the two governments [Mauritian and British] have betrayed us…
Like in many territories and countries that Europe once colonized, European capitals continue to impose their policies, proving that the decolonization process is far from over.