Mauritius is braced to reclaim sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago following the signing of a landmark treaty with the United Kingdom in May 2025. While the legal transfer has not yet been completed, the agreement marks a historic moment in the country’s post-independence journey and a significant step toward finalising its territorial integrity.
The treaty, signed on 22 May 2025, formally recognises the sovereignty of Mauritius over the Chagos Archipelago, including the island of Diego Garcia. Under the terms of the agreement, the United Kingdom will lease Diego Garcia for a renewable period of 99 years to maintain existing defence arrangements with the United States. Financial compensation and environmental cooperation provisions are also included in the accord.
The treaty is the culmination of more than five decades of legal and diplomatic efforts by Mauritius to reverse the detachment of the Chagos Archipelago prior to its independence in 1968. In 2019, the International Court of Justice issued an advisory opinion declaring the UK’s continued administration of the territory to be unlawful, a position later reinforced by a United Nations General Assembly resolution.
Although the treaty has not yet entered into force — pending ratification by both countries — its signing is widely regarded as a turning point. Mauritian officials have described the agreement as a correction of historical injustice and a formal step toward completing the decolonisation process.
However, concerns remain regarding the future of the Chagossian community, which was forcibly displaced from the islands between 1967 and 1973. The current agreement does not contain binding provisions for resettlement, prompting renewed calls from advocacy groups for greater attention to their rights.
The return of the Chagos Archipelago, once ratified, will represent a defining moment in Mauritius’ national history — one rooted in legal persistence, international support, and the long pursuit of sovereignty.