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The Hindu
23-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
U.K.'s Chagos Islands deal risks entrenching exile of some islanders: rights group
Human Rights Watch said on Friday the U.K. government's deal to hand over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius could "entrench" the exile of Chagossians from the archipelago's biggest island. While the agreement "may result in some Chagossians returning to some islands... it also appears to entrench their exile from Diego Garcia, the largest island," said Clive Baldwin of the New York-based rights group. The group described the forcible displacement of the "entire Chagossian indigenous people, mostly to Mauritius, for a U.S. military base on the island of Diego Garcia" as an "ongoing colonial crime against humanity". British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Thursday announced an agreement to give the remote Indian Ocean archipelago to Mauritius in exchange for control of a crucial U.S.-U.K. military base on Diego Garcia island. The deal, first touted in autumn last year, will see Britain pay its former colony £101 million ($136 million) annually for 99 years to lease the facility, Mr. Starmer said. As part of the agreement, Mauritius will be able to resettle Chagossian islanders, expelled from the archipelago by Britain in the 1960s, to all of its over 50 islands, apart from Diego Garcia. Under the deal, the British government will set up a £40-million ($54 million) trust fund for the 10,000-strong Chagossian diaspora. The agreement was announced with a slight delay after a last-minute injunction was granted to Chagos Islands-born British national Bertrice Pompe. In court documents Pompe laid out concerns that under the deal Mauritius would be responsible for resettling the islands. She said Chagossians had suffered decades of "discrimination" at the hands of Mauritius, "including in relation to distribution of financial support intended for Chagossians", according to the court documents. Pompe said she had been living in exile since being "forcibly removed from the Chagos Islands by the British authorities between 1967 and 1973". Of the around 2,000 Chagos inhabitants who were expelled by the UK, many ended up in destitution in Mauritius, she said. Britain retained control of the Chagos Islands after Mauritius gained independence in the 1960s — evicting thousands of Chagos islanders to allow the U.S. to build the strategic military base. The islanders have since then mounted several legal claims for compensation in British courts, while Mauritius brought its claims over the islands to international courts.
Kuwait Times
23-05-2025
- Business
- Kuwait Times
UK agrees deal over Chagos despite court challenge
LONDON: UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced Thursday he had signed a contentious deal to return the remote Chagos Islands to Mauritius after a judge paved the way for the deal to proceed. Labour leader Starmer said the agreement was 'the only way' to maintain British and American access to a key military base on the archipelago's largest island of Diego Island. The deal, first touted in autumn last year, will see Britain pay its former colony £101 million ($136 million) annually for 99 years to lease the facility, Starmer told reporters. 'There's no alternative but to act in Britain's national interest by agreeing to this deal,' Starmer said. The net cost over the length of the lease would be around £3.4 billion if inflation was factored in, he added. And the UK's top allies were all on board with the deal, including US President Donald Trump, he said. His announcement followed a morning of drama at London's High Court that had forced the postponement of the signing of the accord and threatened to embarrass Starmer's centre-left government. Starmer had been due to conclude the agreement in a virtual signing ceremony with Mauritian representatives at 9 am (0800 GMT). But in a last-minute pre-dawn court hearing, two Chagossian women, Bertrice Pompe and Bernadette Dugasse, won a temporary injunction from the high court to delay the announcement. Starmer's government, which has faced heavy criticism over the plan, challenged that decision. Its lawyers insisted in court that for the deal to be signed on Thursday it would require court approval by 1 pm. Shortly after 12.30 pm, judge Martin Chamberlain lifted the temporary injunction, ruling there was a 'very strong case' that the UK national interest and public interest would be 'prejudiced' by extending the ban. Any further challenges would have to be heard by the Court of Appeal. Starmer insisted that as international legal rulings had put Britain's ownership of the Chagos in doubt, only a deal with Mauritius could guarantee that the military base remained functional. But speaking outside court, Pompe said it was a 'very, very sad day'. 'We don't want to hand our rights over to Mauritius. We are not Mauritians,' she said. Britain kept control of the Chagos Islands after Mauritius gained independence in the 1960s. But it evicted thousands of Chagos islanders, who have since mounted a series of legal claims for compensation in British courts. Pompe, a Chagos Islands-born British national, said in court documents she had been living in exile since being 'forcibly removed from the Chagos Islands by the British authorities between 1967 and 1973'. Others had been forced into destitution in Mauritius, where they had suffered decades of discrimination, she said. — AFP
NZ Herald
23-05-2025
- Politics
- NZ Herald
UK signs deal to return Chagos Islands to Mauritius despite court challenge
Mauritian Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam hailed the accord as a 'great victory' for his country, which 'completes the process of decolonisation of Mauritius, which began in 1968'. But the UK opposition Conservative Party accused Starmer of having 'given away' British territory. Starmer's announcement followed a morning of drama at London's High Court that had forced the postponement of the signing and threatened to embarrass his centre-left government. Last-minute challenge The premier had been due to conclude the agreement in a virtual signing ceremony with Mauritian representatives at 9am on Thursday. But in a last-minute pre-dawn court hearing, two Chagossian women, Bertrice Pompe and Bernadette Dugasse, won a temporary injunction from the High Court to delay the announcement. Starmer's government challenged that decision. Its lawyers insisted that for the deal to be signed on Thursday it would require court approval by 1pm. Shortly after 12.30pm, Judge Martin Chamberlain lifted the temporary injunction, ruling there was a 'very strong case' that the UK national interest and public interest would be 'prejudiced' by extending the ban. Starmer insisted that as international legal rulings had put Britain's ownership of the Chagos in doubt, only a deal with Mauritius could guarantee that the military base and its satellite communications remained functional. Without agreement, the UK would not be able to prevent China or other nations from setting up their own bases on outer islands or from carrying out joint exercises near Britain's base, he said. But speaking outside court, Pompe said it was a 'very, very sad day'. 'We don't want to hand our rights over to Mauritius. We are not Mauritians,' she said. 'Forcibly removed' Britain kept control of the Chagos Islands after Mauritius gained independence in the 1960s. But it evicted thousands of Chagos islanders, who have since mounted a series of legal claims for compensation in British courts. Pompe, a Chagos Islands-born British national, said in court documents she had been living in exile since being 'forcibly removed from the Chagos Islands by the British authorities between 1967 and 1973'. Others had been forced into destitution in Mauritius, where they had suffered decades of discrimination, she said. The deal would 'jeopardise' the limited rights she currently enjoyed to visit the islands, including to tend the graves of relatives, she added. The base, leased to the United States, has become one of its key military facilities in the Asia-Pacific region. It has been used as a hub for long-range bombers and ships during the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Britain's Ministry of Defence said a 24-nautical-mile buffer zone will be put in place around the island where nothing can be built or placed without UK consent. Defence Secretary John Healey told parliament MPs would get to scrutinise the agreement before agreeing to its ratification. In 2019, the International Court of Justice recommended that Britain hand the archipelago to Mauritius after decades of legal battles.
New Straits Times
22-05-2025
- Politics
- New Straits Times
UK agrees deal over Chagos Islands despite court challenge
LONDON: UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced on Thursday he had signed a contentious deal to return the remote Chagos Islands to Mauritius after a judge overturned a last-minute legal challenge. Labour leader Starmer said the agreement, supported by Washington, was "the only way" to maintain British and American control of a key military base on the archipelago's largest island of Diego Garcia. The deal, first touted in autumn last year, will see Britain pay its former colony £101 million (US$136 million) annually for 99 years to lease the facility, Starmer told reporters. "There's no alternative but to act in Britain's national interest by agreeing to this deal," Starmer said. The net cost over the length of the lease would be around £3.4 billion if inflation were factored in, he added. The UK's top allies were on board with the deal, said Starmer, with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio later saying in a statement that Washington "welcomes the historic agreement." Mauritian Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam hailed the accord as a "great victory" for his country, which "completes the process of decolonisation of Mauritius, which began in 1968." But the UK opposition Conservative Party accused Starmer of having "given away" British territory. Starmer's announcement followed a morning of drama at London's High Court that had forced the postponement of the signing and threatened to embarrass his centre-left government. The premier had been due to conclude the agreement in a virtual signing ceremony with Mauritian representatives at May 23, 9am (0800 GMT). But in a last-minute pre-dawn court hearing, two Chagossian women, Bertrice Pompe and Bernadette Dugasse, won a temporary injunction from the High Court to delay the announcement. Starmer's government challenged that decision. Its lawyers insisted that for the deal to be signed on Thursday it would require court approval by 1pm. Shortly after 12.30pm, Judge Martin Chamberlain lifted the temporary injunction, ruling there was a "very strong case" that the UK national interest and public interest would be "prejudiced" by extending the ban. Starmer insisted that as international legal rulings had put Britain's ownership of the Chagos in doubt, only a deal with Mauritius could guarantee that the military base and its satellite communications remained functional. Without agreement, the UK would not be able to prevent China or other nations from setting up their own bases on outer islands or from carrying out joint exercises near Britain's base, he said. But speaking outside court, Pompe said it was a "very, very sad day." "We don't want to hand our rights over to Mauritius. We are not Mauritians," she said. Britain kept control of the Chagos Islands after Mauritius gained independence in the 1960s. But it evicted thousands of Chagos islanders, who have since mounted a series of legal claims for compensation in British courts. Pompe, a Chagos Islands-born British national, said in court documents she had been living in exile since being "forcibly removed from the Chagos Islands by the British authorities between 1967 and 1973." Others had been forced into destitution in Mauritius, where they had suffered decades of discrimination, she said. The deal would "jeopardise" the limited rights she currently enjoyed to visit the islands, including to tend the graves of relatives, she added. The base, leased to the United States, has become one of its key military facilities in the Asia-Pacific region. It has been used as a hub for long-range bombers and ships during the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Britain's Ministry of Defence said a 24-nautical-mile buffer zone will be put in place around the island where nothing can be built or placed without UK consent. Defence Secretary John Healey told Parliament MPs would get to scrutinise the agreement before agreeing its ratification. In 2019, the International Court of Justice recommended that Britain hand the archipelago to Mauritius after decades of legal battles.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
The Chagossian woman who brought Starmer's deal to a standstill
Bertrice Pompe had barely been asleep for two hours when she woke to a phone call at 6am on Thursday. It was her friend Bernadette Dugasse – her sister in arms in the fight to block the Government's deal to surrender the Chagos Islands, a British territory, to Mauritius. 'She said 'get up, there's [going to be] a court case'.' Pompe, 54, had been on the phone to her lawyers throughout the night as a frantic, eleventh-hour battle to secure an emergency injunction from the court played out. At 2:25am, after five hours of legal argument, Mr Justice Goose issued the injunction, preventing Sir Keir Starmer from signing the deal in the morning. It came after 24 hours of chaos. The legal team representing Pompe only became aware of Starmer's plan to attend a 'virtual signing ceremony' with the Mauritian government on Thursday morning after it was leaked to the press on Tuesday night. After The Telegraph confirmed the story on Wednesday, they were left with just hours to intervene. 'After that news, then everything was rushed,' says Pompe, speaking after the hearing. 'My lawyer was on the phone with me almost all day, all night. I slept for two hours... They were on the phone with the judge for three hours last night.' A little before 3am, it seemed they had done it. 'When my lawyer [called] me last night, he said 'we're done',' says Pompe. '[He said] 'it looks like we've put [the signing] off for a little bit, because it was supposed to happen at 9am'. But he didn't say there was going to be a hearing.' An order issued overnight set a further hearing for 10.30am and Pompe raced into town from her home in Clapham to be there in time. In a packed courtroom, Philip Rule KC, representing her, appeared on a TV screen. He made his apologies for appearing via video link and for his 'attire'. He was speaking from a hotel room in New York, where it was still the middle of the night, and lacked the customary black gown and wig so appeared in a white shirt. 'This was the only outfit I had with me that came close to fitting the bill.' And so, the 90 minutes that would decide the fate of the Chagos Islands began. The judge, Mr Justice Chamberlain, heard from Rule that the signing should be put off in order to prevent 'significant prejudice to the claimant', who has always argued the deal would make it harder for Chagossians to return to the islands of their birth. Chagossians were removed from the islands between the 1960s and 1970s – largely to Mauritius – to make way for the UK-US military base on Diego Garcia, where Pompe was born. Pompe's parents moved to the Seychelles six months after her birth in 1971. 'They were told they have to leave. They're not going to be given work, they're not going to be given food, there's no salary.' Pompe has accused the Mauritian government of being 'racist' towards Chagossians, and deems the deal to be a breach of her human rights. She says the UK Government failed to carry out a 'lawful consultation' of Chagossians living in the UK, and failed to 'properly consider' all manner of issues, from rights of residence to 'cultural heritage, and the community's expressed wishes'. Chagossians have never, she has always argued, been consulted adequately on a deal that impacts them so personally. The Conservative government entered into bilateral negotiations with Mauritius, but nothing had been concluded ahead of the general election, after which Starmer decided to press ahead and give the islands away. Critics, including the Tories and Reform UK (the deputy leader of which, Richard Tice, was present in court), say military assets on Diego Garcia will be at risk due to the close ties between Mauritius and China. The UK Government – backed by President Trump and US intelligence agencies – will now lease back the military base on the island at great expense to the taxpayer (it is expected to cost £10 billion in lease payments over 99 years). It claims it is the only way to secure the 'long-term future' of a base which is crucial to national security. For Pompe, who moved to Britain 22 years ago, it is significantly more personal. 'This new Government just jumped in and wants to disrupt everything,' she says. '[They want to] just accept the deal, and don't care about what happens even to British people who were born in Britain,' referring to the impact that the costly deal might have on public finances. 'They want to cut down on taking care of elderly people to give money to Mauritius. How can you accept that? I think more British people should be backing us. Because it's going to affect them as well.' Pompe, a fashion designer, has twin daughters who are now in their twenties. Five years ago, she was diagnosed with fibromyalgia which causes her daily discomfort and fatigue. Ultimately, Starmer's response to the spanner thrown in the works by a softly spoken mother-of-two was to send for Sir James Eadie, Whitehall's most senior lawyer, known as the 'Treasury Devil'. Eadie told the court it had no power to stand in the way of international relations and foreign policy decision making. 'My instructions from Number 10 are that we need a decision by 1pm today and that everyone is standing by,' he said. He told the court 'damage has already been done' in delaying the signing, arguing, 'There is jeopardy to international relations.' Just 20 minutes before the Government's deadline, the judge declared there should be no further interim relief and the stay should be lifted. 'The order is discharged. If you want to... you'll have to go to the Court of Appeal.' Pompe sat among a small group of campaigners, including three little girls sitting patiently with their parents, who represented a whole community. Trying to 'understand what the judge was saying', she found herself thinking about these girls who have little idea of the islands some 6,000 miles away where their ancestors came from. Speaking at a coffee shop near the court after the hearing, she says that she has a ten-year-old grandson who has little sense of his Chagossian heritage 'because all this is dying'. Pompe, dressed in black, looks exhausted. It is a deeply disappointing ending to what has been a long, personal struggle. The case has been the work of a large legal team and an even bigger campaign group, but as the woman chosen by her fellow campaigners to represent their cause, it is her name on the court paperwork. Why did she feel compelled to lead the charge? 'I'm a native. Most of those people who came today to see us, most of the people in our community, they are descendants. The natives are dying out.' Pompe says her parents didn't talk much about the homeland they had been forced to leave. Life in the Seychelles was not so very different than it would have been on Chagos – 'it's still island life', she says – but they were 'discriminated against' there. 'Even our ID card that we get from the Seychelles government is different, I think to isolate us. As soon as you look at the ID number you will know – she wasn't born here.' Pompe would like the chance to return to the place where she was born. In signing this agreement, she feels Starmer has put paid to that chance. 'Keir Starmer doesn't care,' she says. 'I bet he doesn't know anything about Chagossians. He probably doesn't know much about Diego Garcia either. They keep talking – even in court, even in the US – about how important Diego Garcia is to us, to our security. It's important to us as well but you never hear them say that.' The court heard how Pompe told the Government in March that she was considering legal action. Through the course of the hearing, the judge repeatedly questioned the delay in Pompe issuing formal proceedings. 'I knew something was going to go wrong because he kept saying the same thing? Why did we leave that big delay?' she says. Her lawyer explained that a delay in applying for legal aid had been behind it, the recent cyber attack on the Legal Aid Agency having slowed down attempts to get crucial funding. Over the past three months, there has been 'obstacle after obstacle', says Pompe. 'I don't know why the judge wouldn't understand. Maybe he's never been poor. He said we could have done this at any time – no we couldn't. We've been asking for donations, opening GoFundMe pages. It didn't work.' After the hearing, one campaigner, Jemmy Simon, said the Government 'are not treating us like we are human beings'. 'We are British citizens but our rights do not count.' 'British justice takes care of who they want, when they want. They haven't been able to rectify the wrongs they have done to us.' Pompe dreams of one day returning to Chagos, to the 'blue sea, the sun, the coconuts'. In the meantime she is proud, at least, of having done her bit to delay the signing. 'The lawyer said we should [feel proud], because if we didn't bring that, even though it's in a rush, there wouldn't be press, it would have gone quietly, just the way they wanted it to. 'Now it is like we are muddying the water, and they don't like that.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
