Place In News
UK Defends Chagos Deal
- 28 Jan 2026
- 3 min read
The United Kingdom (UK) defended an agreement to transfer the Chagos archipelago to Mauritius while leasing back a strategic military base (Diego Garcia), after facing criticism from the US President over its handling of the deal.
Chagos Archipelago
- About: It is a group of 58 islands in the Indian Ocean, located about 500 km south of the Maldives. Diego Garcia is the largest island and a coral atoll, lying at 7° south of the equator.
- Colonial History: France colonised Mauritius and the Chagos Islands in 1715, and under the 1814 Treaty of Paris, France ceded both to Britain.
- In 1965, Britain detached Chagos from Mauritius to form the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT), giving Mauritius a £3 million grant for the detachment.
- Significance of Diego Garcia: Under the 1966 agreement, Britain allowed the US to use BIOT for military purposes, and Diego Garcia (a joint UK–US military base) became fully operational in 1986. It played a crucial role in the Gulf War, Iraq and Afghanistan wars, and post-9/11 operations, underscoring its Indo-Pacific strategic value.
- International Legal Developments: The International Court of Justice (ICJ) in 2019 issued an advisory opinion stating the UK's detachment of Chagos was unlawful. Following this, in 2024, the UK agreed to transfer sovereignty to Mauritius while securing a 99-year lease to retain control of the Diego Garcia base.
| Read More: Chagos Archipelago and Diego Garcia Island |
