Politics
Former President: “Mauritius is Losing Control Over Part of the Chagos Islands”

Cassam Uteem, the former President of Mauritius, has expressed grave concerns regarding the ongoing dialogues between the Mauritian government and the British authorities concerning the Chagos archipelago. Speaking at an event, Uteem made it clear that the situation is alarming, stating, “Mauritius is in the process of losing a part of the Chagos Islands again.”
He referred to a significant resolution passed during a plenary session of the United Nations General Assembly on May 22, 2019.
This resolution called for Britain to end its colonial administration of the Chagos archipelago “unconditionally” and within a six-month timeframe, enabling Mauritius to complete the decolonization of its territory.
However, instead of adhering to this UN directive, Britain has opted to enter negotiations with Mauritius focused on the “conditions” for transferring sovereignty over the Chagos Islands back to the Mauritian government.
This shift represented a transition from “unconditionally” in the UN resolution to “conditionally” in the ongoing bilateral discussions—reminiscent of the complex negotiations surrounding Mauritius’ independence.
Uteem emphasized that Mauritius’s independence in 1968 came at the cost of the detachment of the Chagos archipelago from its territory, a concession made under considerable pressure.
The political leaders who traveled to London for independence negotiations have long maintained that they were forced to accept Britain’s terms—the separation of the Chagos Islands—”with a knife to their throat.”
In a troubling development, recent negotiations between London and Port-Louis revealed that the Mauritian government has agreed to cede its rights over Diego Garcia for a period of 99 years.
This decision effectively is allowing the United States to continue using Diego Garcia as a military base.
Uteem highlighted the irony of this situation: while 56 years ago, Mauritian leaders were compelled to relinquish the Chagos Islands to the British, the current government has “voluntarily” ceded rights over Diego Garcia to the British government once again.
By agreeing to the terms of this arrangement, Mauritius has, in fact, distanced itself from the group of non-aligned nations and aligned itself with the United States and its Western allies, including Israel.
Uteem’s assertion is clear: Mauritius is losing control over a significant part of the Chagos archipelago with the full agreement of its government.
Instead of regaining complete sovereignty over the Chagos Islands, Mauritius is, in effect, trading a substantial portion to the United States through Britain, in return for what Uteem characterizes as “blood money,” given the military implications of the American base.
The only silver lining in this agreement, according to Uteem, is that the Chagossians will have the right to return to their ancestral islands.
Cassam Uteem expressed hope that those who wish to return can do so as soon as possible.
Source: Le Mauricien