UN Steps In As Chagos Deal Sparks Fresh Tensions
So, there’s been a major development around the future of the Chagos Islands, and it’s creating a lot of noise both in the UK and internationally. A UN committee has stepped forward with a strong warning, urging the UK to pause the ratification of its treaty with Mauritius. This treaty, which was signed earlier this year, is being described as something that could actually deepen the long-standing violations of the rights of the Chagossian people rather than resolve them.
To give a bit of context, the deal would see the UK hand over sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius. On paper, this looks like a step toward ending decades of dispute. But the agreement also allows the UK to hold on to the strategic UK-US military base on Diego Garcia—by leasing it from Mauritius for 99 years, with the possibility of extending that for another 40 years. And as part of the arrangement, the UK would pay billions of pounds to Mauritius.
The core issue, according to the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, is that the deal still prevents Chagossians from returning to Diego Garcia, their ancestral homeland. This community was forcibly removed decades ago to make way for the military base, and that displacement has remained one of the most painful chapters in the region’s history. The committee says the new agreement simply continues that injustice.
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Their report states that the deal contradicts the International Court of Justice’s 2019 ruling, which declared the separation of the islands from Mauritius unlawful and called for full decolonisation. The UN General Assembly backed that position. Now, the committee is saying the current treaty not only blocks resettlement but also restricts cultural rights and fails to acknowledge past harms—or offer full reparations.
Because of these concerns, the UN wants both the UK and Mauritius to suspend ratification, reopen negotiations, and include Chagossians directly in the discussions. Essentially, the message is: nothing about their future should be decided without them.
Meanwhile, the treaty has become a political flashpoint in the UK. Conservatives are fiercely against it, but for very different reasons. They argue that the UK shouldn’t give up control of the islands at all. Some have even accused the prime minister of giving away British territory and money to curry favour with China, since Mauritius is seen as aligned with Beijing. They say the UN’s criticism only proves their point.
The government, however, insists that Chagossians weren’t ignored and that the treaty does allow Mauritius to plan resettlement on other islands in the archipelago—just not Diego Garcia. They also emphasise that heritage visits to the territory will be supported.
So right now, everything is at a critical pause point. The UN’s intervention has added a spotlight that ministers can’t easily dismiss, and the future of the Chagos Islands—along with the rights of the people who once called them home—is once again at the centre of international attention.
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