UK-Mauritius Chagos sovereignty deal stalls amid fears of further delays

Displaced Chagossians fear they may never return to their islands as the 2025 treaty between Britain and Mauritius, which grants sovereignty to Mauritius over the archipelago, remains unratified due to US opposition. Olivier Bancoult, a representative of the Chagos Refugees Group, emphasizes that international law, including the 2019 ICJ advisory opinion, supports their right to return. The British separated the islands from Mauritius in 1965 and established a US military base on Diego Garcia, forcibly removing around 1,400 to 1,700 Chagossians between 1968 and 1973. Activists remain hopeful despite delays.