On October 3, 2024, the UK government announced a historic agreement to transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Islands, including Diego Garcia, to Mauritius. The deal secures the continued operation of the US-UK military base on Diego Garcia for at least 99 years, amid concerns over China's influence in the region.
According to the BBC, the UK government stated that the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands and Gibraltar remains 'not up for negotiation,' despite Argentina's renewed claims following the Chagos Islands deal. The Guardian reported that Prime Minister Keir Starmer emphasized the importance of securing the military base on Diego Garcia, calling it a 'historic moment' for diplomacy. Critics, including former Conservative ministers, have voiced concerns that this move could undermine Britain's strategic interests and embolden other territorial claims. The Independent highlighted the mixed reactions from Chagossians, with many feeling sidelined in the negotiations, despite the promise of resettlement opportunities.
The Chagos Islands have been a point of contention since the UK forcibly removed their inhabitants in the 1960s to establish a military base for the US. Recent international pressure and legal rulings have prompted the UK to negotiate sovereignty with Mauritius, which claims the islands were wrongfully detached during its independence in 1968.
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The Chagos Archipelago or Chagos Islands is a group of seven atolls comprising more than 60 islands in the Indian Ocean about 500 kilometres south of the Maldives archipelago.
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Mauritius, officially the Republic of Mauritius, is an island nation in the Indian Ocean about 2,000 kilometres off the south-east coast of the African continent. It includes the eponymous main island of Mauritius and Rodrigues, Agaléga and St. Brandon.
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Sir Keir Rodney Starmer KCB QC MP is a British politician and former lawyer who has served as Leader of the Labour Party and Leader of the Opposition since 2020. He has been Member of Parliament for Holborn and St Pancras since 2015.
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James Spencer Cleverly is a British Conservative politician who served as Co-Chairman of the Conservative Party alongside Ben Elliot from 2019 to 2020. He has been Member of Parliament for Braintree since 2015. He was previously Member of the London Assem
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Pravind Kumar Jugnauth is a Mauritian politician who is the Prime Minister of Mauritius. He has been the leader of the Militant Socialist Movement party since April 2003.
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The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom or Britain, is a sovereign country located off the northwestern coast of the European mainland.
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David Lindon Lammy PC FRSA is a British Labour Party politician serving as Member of Parliament for Tottenham since 2000, and has served as Shadow Secretary of State for Justice and Shadow Lord Chancellor in Keir Starmer's Shadow Cabinet since 2020.
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Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country located mostly in the southern half of South America. Sharing the bulk of the Southern Cone with Chile to the west, the country is also bordered by Bolivia and Paraguay to the north, Brazil to the
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Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson Hon FRIBA is a British politician, writer, and former journalist serving as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party since 2019.
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Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. is an American politician who is the 46th and current president of the United States. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the 47th vice president from 2009 to 2017 and represented Delaware in the United States Senate
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The United States of America, commonly known as the United States or America, is a country mostly located in central North America, between Canada and Mexico.
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China, officially the People's Republic of China, is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population of around 1.4 billion in 2019.
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The International Court of Justice, sometimes called the World Court, is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations. It settles disputes between states and gives advisory opinions on international legal issues referred to it by the UN. Its opin
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Rishi Sunak is a British politician who has served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party since 2022.
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Human Rights Watch is an international non-governmental organization, headquartered in New York City, that conducts research and advocacy on human rights.
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Robert Edward Jenrick is a British Conservative Party politician serving as Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government since 2019. He has served as Member of Parliament for Newark since 2014.
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Jonathan Powell may refer to:
Jonathan Powell (musician) (born 1969), British musician
Jonathan Powell (producer) (born 1947), British television producer and executive
Jonathan Powell (Labour adviser) (born 1956), Chief of Staff to former British Prime.
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The United Nations is an intergovernmental organization that aims to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmonizing the actions of nations.
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Alison Mary Blake CMG is a British diplomat who has served as high commissioner to Bangladesh and ambassador to Afghanistan.
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Diana Elena Mondino (born 8 August 1958) is an Argentine libertarian economist, academic, and politician, currently serving as the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Argentine Republic since 2023 under President Javier Milei. Mondino was previously the...
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Elizabeth Mary Truss, known as Liz Truss, is a British politician serving as Secretary of State for International Trade and President of the Board of Trade since July 2019 and Minister for Women and Equalities since September 2019.