Britain says it will hand over the sovereignty of a cluster of islands to Mauritius under a bilateral agreement that secures the future of a strategically important military base there.
The British government announced the deal over the Chagos Archipelago in the Indian Ocean on Thursday. Britain has ruled it for more than 200 years.
The government said the deal will allow the continued operation of the US-UK base. The facility sits on Diego Garcia, the largest island of the archipelago.
The United States built the base after Britain leased Diego Garcia to it in 1966. Vessels and bombers were dispatched from the facility to unleash airstrikes on Afghanistan from 2001 and to engage in the Iraq War in 2003.
Mauritius had been demanding Britain give up sovereignty of the archipelago. People evicted from the islands went to court.
In 2019, the International Court of Justice called Britain’s continued administration of the archipelago “unlawful.” The UN court also stated that Britain was “under an obligation” to end it as soon as possible.
US President Joe Biden commended the agreement between Britain and Mauritius, which comes amid the rising tension in the Middle East.
Biden said in a statement that the deal “is a clear demonstration that through diplomacy and partnership, countries can overcome long-standing historical challenges to reach peaceful and mutually beneficial outcomes.”