New Delhi, May 23: India has hailed the United Kingdom’s historic decision to return sovereignty of the Chagos Archipelago, including the strategic island of Diego Garcia, to Mauritius, a move framed as the completion of a long-overdue chapter of decolonisation. In a statement, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) welcomed the treaty signed between the UK and Mauritius said, “We welcome the signing of the treaty between the United Kingdom and the Republic of Mauritius on the return of Mauritian sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago, including Diego Garcia.
The formal resolution of the longstanding Chagos dispute through this bilateral treaty is a milestone achievement and a positive development for the region.
This is further to the understanding between the two sides reached in October 2024, and marks the culmination of the process of decolonization of Mauritius in the spirit of international law and rules-based order.”
New Delhi has always supported Mauritius’s claim to the Chagos Islands, aligning with its broader principles of decolonisation, respect for sovereignty, and territorial integrity. “India has consistently supported Mauritius’s legitimate claim over the Chagos Archipelago in keeping with its principled position on decolonization, respect for sovereignty, and the territorial integrity of nations. As a steadfast and longstanding partner of Mauritius, India remains committed to working closely with Mauritius and other like-minded countries to strengthen maritime security and regional stability and ensure peace and prosperity in the Indian Ocean region, “MEA added in a statement
The agreement, finalised on Thursday, marks the first formal step in the return of the archipelago after more than five decades under British control. The UK originally separated the Chagos Islands from Mauritius in 1965, three years before Mauritius gained independence, in a move widely condemned as unlawful. At the time, Britain expelled between 1,500 and 2,000 Chagossians and leased Diego Garcia, the largest island in the chain, to the United States for the establishment of a joint military base.
Under the new treaty, the UK formally cedes sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius but retains long-term operational control of the Diego Garcia base, leasing it for an initial 99 years at £101 million per year, with the option to extend the agreement by another 40 years. The UK government has also committed to a £40 million trust fund for displaced Chagossians and additional funding for Mauritian development. In total, the financial package under the agreement could reach £3.4 billion.
British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer defended the agreement as a necessary compromise, asserting that failure to act now could have reopened contentious legal challenges with little chance of a favourable outcome for the UK. “No action was no option,” said Defence Secretary John Healey, emphasising that the deal secures British and allied military interests while ensuring continued strategic presence in the Indian Ocean.
That presence is not incidental. Diego Garcia remains one of the most valuable and secretive military assets in the world. Operated jointly by the United States and United Kingdom, the base has served as a launchpad for operations in the West Asia or Middle East, surveillance across Asia and Africa, and as a key node in global military logistics and communications. The UK’s insistence on retaining “full operational control” of the base, continues to maintain dominance of US and UK in the area including oversight of the surrounding electromagnetic spectrum and a 24-nautical-mile buffer zone highlights the archipelago’s continuing relevance.
For India, the return of sovereignty to Mauritius is a diplomatic win, reinforcing its image as a principled regional power and longtime ally of Port Louis. But it also opens the door for closer maritime collaboration with both Western and Indian Ocean partners. The Indian Ocean, after all, is increasingly a theatre of geopolitical competition where China’s growing naval footprint, piracy concerns, and the need for secure sea lanes drive strategic calculations.
Diego Garcia airstrips and satellite facilities, its isolation and reach, make it one of the most prized pieces of real estate in global geopolitics and more so in the Indian Ocean. Control over this military foothold helps secure vital trade routes, deters adversaries, and undergirds the Indo-Pacific strategy for several western countries.
