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The Wire
7 hours ago
- Business
- The Wire
Chagos Islands: How Mauritius Can Turn a Diplomatic Triumph Into Real Economic Growth
The decades-long Chagos islands dispute has finally entered a new chapter. The UK officially agreed to return the sovereignty of the archipelago to Mauritius. The Indian Ocean islands are strategically situated near key shipping lanes and regional power hubs. Mauritius was granted independence from British colonial rule in 1968. But not the Chagos islands, which had been part of Mauritius but became a new colonial territory. The residents of the largest island in the archipelago, Diego Garcia, were forced off the land. This was used as a base to support US military operations. Now Mauritius has regained control over the islands while leasing Diego Garcia to the UK for a 99-year period for US$136 million a year. This gives the UK (and its ally the US) access to a vital maritime corridor for global trade and power projection. But now that the deal has been signed, there's a more pressing question. Can Mauritius use it as the foundation for justice and economic progress? As scholars of strategic economic development we often focus on Africa and Mauritius in particular. We believe the agreement marks an important geopolitical moment. It rights a colonial wrong, honours international justice and cements Mauritius's global standing. It also presents an opportunity to fund inclusive development and sustainability initiatives for Mauritius. It could boost investments in education, health and infrastructure. It could also support the resettlement of displaced Chagossians, and advance marine conservation, renewable energy and climate resilience programmes in the archipelago. The real challenge facing the Mauritian government is how to turn a diplomatic triumph into tangible national progress. We argue that what's needed is a forward looking and inclusive strategy. The development challenge Reparations can offer short-term financial relief. But without visionary planning, there's a risk of these funds being absorbed into recurrent government spending. Or used for symbolic programmes with limited structural and socio-economic impact. The real value lies in what Mauritius does next. Investment in strategic sectors such as the blue economy, renewable energy, digital infrastructure and sustainable tourism is the key. Investment should strengthen partnerships with regional neighbours, international donors, and strategic allies like the US, China and India. Mauritius must position itself as a forward-looking state with global relevance. The reparations should be treated as seed funding to invest in its own future. This means using the funds to drive bold, long-term transformation. The country needs to build a more resilient, innovative and globally competitive economy. Mauritius is heavily reliant on offshore services and short-term fiscal gains. It is vulnerable to slow diversification, rising youth unemployment, climate-related risks, lagging digital and technological progress, and growing global scrutiny of its financial sector. To remain competitive in the current volatile global context, the country must develop more broadly. Three steps to take 1. Investment Mauritius has historically relied on external financial inflows like tourism revenue, offshore finance and foreign aid. By channelling funds into capacity-building, skills development and innovation ecosystems, the country can cultivate a self-sustaining economy. This would position it better to seize opportunities in the green economy, digital transformation and knowledge-intensive industries. More specifically, it needs to: secure investment in green energy, AI-digital infrastructure and high-tech manufacturing offer tax incentives and streamlined regulatory processes to attract foreign direct investment in these sectors establish public-private partnerships to develop innovation hubs and research centres focused on emerging technologies launch workforce development programmes to upskill the labour force. 2. Economic diplomacy, alliances and regional leverage The government should forge stronger partnerships with the UK and the US. Key areas include defence, cybersecurity, climate and sustainability innovations and regional logistics infrastructure. It needs strong ties as power blocs shift and competition over strategic resources and trade routes grows. Joint military exercises and intelligence sharing could improve forces' ability to help each other. Investing in advanced cyber defence capabilities, for instance, can help counter emerging digital threats, such as data breaches affecting financial services and e-governance systems. These steps would bolster national security and reinforce Mauritius' position as a reliable partner. The resolution of the Chagos dispute provides an opportunity for Mauritius to use its geopolitical position. It could expand trade, diplomatic influence and strategic partnerships across Africa, Asia and beyond. Being located between Africa, the Middle East, South Asia and Southeast Asia places it along major maritime trade routes. Mauritius enjoys political stability, democratic governance and strong legal framework. It is well placed to help resolve regional disputes over maritime boundary conflicts, fishing rights, and freedom of navigation. These involve countries like India, Sri Lanka and Madagascar, and even China and the US. It can also lead in developing shared logistics and resupply hubs to support regional trade, disaster response and maritime security operations. 3. Chagossian justice Mauritius must make the Chagossian community part of its next national success story. Including them in economic plans is a legal, moral and strategic necessity. Steps should include: incorporating Chagos representatives in economic discussions and decision-making processes establishing programmes for Chagossian cultural preservation and economic development giving Chagossians a voice in shaping the future of their ancestral lands. This article was originally published on The Conversation. The Wire is now on WhatsApp. Follow our channel for sharp analysis and opinions on the latest developments.
Powys County Times
4 days ago
- Politics
- Powys County Times
Letter: Decision to give up Chagos Islands is self-sabotage
The UK government's decision to hand over sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius is a disgraceful act of national self-sabotage. It is, frankly, nothing more than woke virtue signalling dressed up as diplomacy. The Chagos Islands were never part of an independent Mauritius, yet this government has chosen to ignore both historical fact and the voices of the Chagossian people, who were once again excluded from any meaningful consultation. Even more insulting, we are paying Mauritius to take this vital strategic territory, and then paying again to rent it back. Labour uses words like 'bought' or 'sold' to describe this arrangement - but what do you call it when you pay someone to take something valuable off you? That is what they've done. This so-called deal could cost British taxpayers up to £30 billion over its lifetime - at a time when families are struggling, taxes are rising, and our armed forces are being stretched to their limits. The government claims this is about 'righting a historic wrong,' yet all they have done is create a new wrong - ignoring the indigenous Chagossians, compromising UK security, and giving ground to a Chinese-aligned state in the Indian Ocean. Let's be clear: this is a strategic asset of immense importance. particularly Diego Garcia, which is critical to both UK and US security. By transferring sovereignty to Mauritius, the UK opens the door to Chinese influence, which has been expanding across the Indo-Pacific. This sets a dangerous precedent for other British Overseas Territories. It sends a message that our sovereignty is negotiable, and our strategic interests expendable. Starmer's government has not made Britain respected - they've made us a laughing stock.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Everything We Know About The Chagos Islands Deal Between The UK And Mauritius
The United Kingdom has finalized a historic £3.4 billion agreement to transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius. The deal allows the UK to secure a 99-year lease and maintain control of the strategically vital Diego Garcia military base. The BBC reports that Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced the deal on May 22, 2025. This ends decades of international legal disputes over the remote Indian Ocean archipelago. The controversial agreement will cost British taxpayers approximately £101 million annually. However, it ensures continued access to the joint US-UK military installation that Starmer describes as 'right at the foundation of our safety and security at home.' Mauritius Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam hailed the arrangement as completing 'the total process of decolonization.' At the same time, critics, including some displaced Chagossians, express concerns about their right to return to their ancestral lands. The agreement comes after years of mounting international pressure on Britain to relinquish control of the territory it separated from Mauritius in 1965, before Mauritian independence. The Chagos Islands are about 1,250 miles northeast of Mauritius and nearly 6,000 miles from the UK. The islands became a focal point of controversy when Britain forcibly removed approximately 2,000 islanders between the late 1960s and early 1970s. This deportation occurred to accommodate the construction of a US military base on Diego Garcia, the largest island in the archipelago. A leaked Foreign Office memo infamously referred to the Chagossians as 'a few Tarzans and Man Fridays,' highlighting the colonial attitudes that facilitated their displacement. Under the new agreement, the UK will pay Mauritius an average of £101 million annually for 99 years to lease Diego Garcia. The payment structure includes £165 million for each of the first three years. This is followed by £120 million annually for years four through thirteen, with subsequent payments indexed to inflation. The deal also establishes a £40 million trust fund to support Chagossian communities. The agreement creates a 24-mile exclusion zone around Diego Garcia where nothing can be built without UK consent. Foreign military and civilian forces are banned from other islands in the archipelago. There are also provisions to prevent Chinese influence in the region. Furthermore, the UK retains veto power over access to the islands. Starmer confirmed that all 'Five Eyes' security alliance partners, the US, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia, support the agreement. Meanwhile, Russia, China, and Iran oppose post Everything We Know About The Chagos Islands Deal Between The UK And Mauritius appeared first on Travel Noire.
New European
26-05-2025
- Politics
- New European
Anti-Starmer strike fails to hit its target
Protest organiser Richard Donaldson told the channel he was 'not prepared to wait four years' for Keir Starmer to be ousted from power, calling for an immediate general election. As it turned out, Starmer can probably call off the removal van for a while yet. Because – possibly as Donaldson called the 'national strike' for a Saturday, a day most people are off work anyway – the event proved the dampest of damp squibs. How went the Great British National Strike, a day of countrywide anti-government protests, which GB News confidently predicted would see 'more than 500,000 people across the country walking out in protest at the state of the UK'? In most cities and towns, fewer than 100 people protested, often outnumbered by anti-fascist demos: in Bristol, for example (population: 483,000), Avon and Somerset Police said that 'an estimated 50 people took part in a protest, with an estimated 100 people taking part in a counter demonstration'. Another 100 people (described by organisers as 'big crowds') turned up outside Downing Street to chant 'Keir Starmer is a wanker'. In Manchester, meanwhile (population: 551,938), organisers claimed around 200 attendees, although photos would suggest this includes a protest by Chagossians protesting against the government's deal to hand over sovereignty of the islands to Mauritius, which was happening at the same time. Supporters of the Great British National Strike were unimpressed, taking to social media to moan: 'No timetable, no speakers, no stage/platform, no PA system. Shambolic. Organisers were early with their excuses for failure, but admitted they'd spent two months arranging this butterfly's fart of a protest.'
Sydney Morning Herald
25-05-2025
- Business
- Sydney Morning Herald
Chagos Islands deal ends Britain's last claim to a sunlit empire
The arrangement allows the UK and US to maintain Diego Garcia's military functions unchallenged, shielded from legal challenges that had increasingly threatened its status. 'We had to act now,' Starmer said. 'The base was under threat.' 'If we do not agree this deal … we would not be able to prevent China, or any other nation, setting up their own bases on the outer islands,' he warned. 'There is no alternative but to act in Britain's national interest.' About 9300 kilometres south-east of the UK, and about 2000 kilometres north-east of Mauritius, Diego Garcia lies at a crucial choke point between the Indian Ocean and key maritime routes. Its remote location enables a secure base for operations, supporting naval carriers and intelligence-gathering efforts critical to counterterrorism and nuclear monitoring in an age of rising Indo-Pacific tension with China. To lose that capability – Starmer argued – would be irresponsible, even dangerous. 'We would lose the first line of defence against other countries who wish to interfere and disrupt this capability … rendering it practically useless,' he said. On paper, the agreement is a hard-headed military lease cloaked in diplomatic compromise. The UK will retain full operational control, including the electromagnetic spectrum satellite used for communications, and enforce a 24-nautical-mile buffer zone around the island within which nothing can be built or placed without British consent. Mauritius is also prohibited from allowing foreign security forces on the outer islands, ensuring the base remains under Western control. The UK government maintains that the deal offers value for money. Which countries are still Commonwealth realms? Antigua and Barbuda Australia The Bahamas Belize Canada Grenada Jamaica New Zealand Papua New Guinea Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Solomon Islands Tuvalu United Kingdom Starmer noted that the average £101 million annual lease payment 'is the same, or slightly less than, the running cost of an aircraft carrier minus the aircraft'. Additional payments include £45 million annually for 25 years to support economic development projects in Mauritius and £40 million to establish a trust fund for former Chagos residents. For the Chagossians – descendants of the Afro-Creole islanders forcibly expelled in the 1960s and '70s – the flag change is not the final chapter but another betrayal. Some 1500 islanders were uprooted to make way for the US base. The British government once described them dismissively as 'a few Tarzans and Man Fridays' and dumped them in Mauritius and Seychelles with little compensation. Decades later, many still live in poverty, facing discrimination and fading hopes of return. Now, they watch as their birthplace is transferred from one former coloniser to another – again, with little say. 'Sir Keir Starmer is washing his hands of the Chagossian people,' Bernadette Dugasse, who led a last-minute legal bid to block the deal, told reporters. 'We are not 100 per cent sure everyone will benefit. Most of us still live in the same conditions 50 years after we arrived. I don't trust the Mauritian government.' The British government concedes that while resettlement on the outer islands is 'theoretically possible', it remains logistically daunting. The £45 million annual support fund for Mauritius will be administered solely by the Mauritian government, without direct UK oversight. 'We had to act now. The base was under threat.' British PM Keir Starmer Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch condemned the deal as 'an expensive surrender' and accused Labour of saddling taxpayers with enormous costs for diminishing returns. Nigel Farage accused Starmer of 'selling off a Cold War jewel to the highest bidder'. Yet Starmer pointed to the support from key allies. 'It is worth reminding ourselves who is in favour of this treaty – the US, NATO, Five Eyes, India. Against it? Russia, China, Iran, and surprisingly, the leader of the opposition and Nigel Farage.' In Washington, where the Trump administration had once questioned the deal, it hailed the agreement. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called Diego Garcia 'critical to regional and global security'. US President Donald Trump gave his personal blessing during a February meeting with Starmer. The deeper concern now shifts to what the Chagos handover signals for Britain's other overseas holdings. Critics warn it may set a precedent, casting long shadows over sovereign base areas such as Akrotiri and Dhekelia in Cyprus – and even stirring uncertainty in places such as Gibraltar and the Falklands. British Foreign Secretary David Lammy insists those territories 'are not up for negotiation', but the UK's claim that Chagos is a one-off will be tested by time – and by those watching closely. 'The decision on Chagos shows that the UK government understands a need for new thinking on how to preserve the more remote outposts of British influence,' Samir Puri, the director of the Global Governance and Security Centre at Chatham House, said last year. 'There are understandable concerns that, as a result of the decision, China may develop commercial ports in the region and seek to compete with India for economic and strategic relationships. But this is a long-term matter of concern to monitor, regardless of the UK's decision on Chagos.' Loading The deal isn't just another post-colonial housekeeping exercise. It is Britain confronting – and recalibrating – its place in the 21st century. It will keep Diego Garcia operational, and will still help shape Indo-Pacific security, but only by paying rent to a former colony. And it has been forced – not by war, but by international law – to give back what it once claimed as its own.
