UK court halts Chagos sovereignty deal with Mauritius

Thursday 22 May 2025 - 12:05

By: Zahouani Ilham

UK court halts Chagos sovereignty deal with Mauritius

A judge in the British High Court has issued a temporary order stopping the UK government from finalizing a deal to transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius. The decision came just hours before a planned virtual signing ceremony between British and Mauritian officials.

The legal action was initiated by Bernadette Dugasse and Bertrice Pompe, two British nationals born on the Diego Garcia military base in the Chagos Archipelago. They argued the islands should stay under British rule.

Justice Julian Goose ruled that the UK must refrain from making any final or legally binding decisions regarding the possible transfer of the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) to another country. He instructed the government to maintain its jurisdiction over the territory until further notice.

Another court session is scheduled to continue the legal proceedings. Earlier this year, Michael Polak, the lawyer representing the two claimants, criticized the UK government's move to negotiate the islands' transfer without consulting Chagossian descendants. He described it as a continuation of past mistreatment.

The UK has administered the Chagos Islands since 1814 and officially detached them from Mauritius in 1965 to form the BIOT. In the early 1970s, around 1,500 Chagossians were forcibly removed to Mauritius and Seychelles to facilitate the construction of a US military base on Diego Garcia.

In October, the UK announced a proposed agreement to return the islands to Mauritius while allowing Britain and the United States to operate the Diego Garcia base under a 99-year lease. The plan had the backing of the Trump administration. However, the final signing was postponed due to changes in the Mauritian government and ongoing cost negotiations.