By Alexandros Sainidis
Colonization is not only about the exploitation of resources – material or human. It is also about forming a stronger geopolitical presence that facilitates trade, deterrence and intervention. And, even though there are more realist voices supporting strict control in the face of Chinese expansion, the United Kingdom actually gave away its last African colony, the Chagos Archipelago, back to Mauritius. This, of course, raises a few questions as to why this archipelagos was returned, when the top priority seems to be bracing for a potential conflict with the second superpower.
Firstly, it is best to describe why Chagos is a source of controversy here. Simply put, before Mauritius gained its independence from the U.K., the nation claims that in 1965 it was forced to leave Chagos to Britain in exchange for a £3 million grant. To keep the Chagos archipelago to itself, in accordance with International Law, the U.K. removed all Chagossians from the islands. Having no home, they formed communities in the U.K., Mauritius and Seychelles.
Secondly, it is important to describe why this territory is important to the U.K., or more accurately, to the West. The more important a territory is, the more fiercely a nation will defend it, fueling the controversy even more. The key here is the Diego Garcia military base, used by the U.S. armed forces. To demonstrate its importance, it was used during the Afghanistan and Iraq wars. The base is a chip that reassures the Atlantic relationship between the U.S. and U.K. It is also important for playing chess with China, considering its original geography and its presence in African ports. It also comes in contact with important maritime routes. And, as a cherry on the top, it is reminiscent of the former U.K. ‘glory’.
Thirdly, let’s see how the current reality pushed the U.K. to make this decision. In 2019, the International Court of Justice concluded that the occupation of the Chagos Archipelago (mind the word occupation) is unlawful, ruling that the territory should be returned to Mauritius. The second blow came from the UN General Assembly, famously being good at representing all the developing, least developed and ‘Third World’ countries, supporting the ruling, and, on top of that, the UN special international maritime court rejected the British claim to sovereignty over the islands. Even the Maldives, who were initially in favour of Britain, supported the ‘decolonization’ of Chagos. Consequently, the United Kingdom could strongly feel this matter poisoning alliances in the region.
All this pressure and wounds to international prestige, in combination with weak U.K. leadership, pushed it to secure the most important asset – the Diego Garcia military base – so that it supports U.S. strategic objectives. The islands were, thus, sold back to Mauritius for £3.4bn ($4.6bn), with a 99-year agreement to lease back Diego Garcia, costing the U.K. £101m a year. The opposition, as always, is against this deal, characterising it as ‘an act of national self-harm,’ especially if one considers Mauritius’ relations with China. However, one could equally argue that the international pressure could also have been nudged by China, fueling generations of anger against the crown. Ultimately, it is a hedging strategy for the Atlantic duo to secure the military side of Chagos, rather than lose everything, including this. And the U.S. doesn’t seem too sad, as it became more American and less British; by virtue of the latter’s withdrawal.
