On Friday, Britain appointed former prime minister Tony Blair as its chief of staff to discuss possession of the Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean, which are a significant US military center, and which Mauritius is trying to reclaim.
The Chagos territories were taken from Mauritius, a previous colony that gained independence three years later, in 1965, by Britain, which has controlled the area since 1814.
Jonathan Powell has been appointed as Keir Starmer’s specific minister to oversee conversations between Britain and Mauritius, which claims it was unlawfully stripped of its islands, regarding who holds the territory’s independence.
The American government leased the Chagos archipelago’s biggest area, Diego Garcia, to the United States in 1966, paving the way for development of an airport that required the forced eradication of some 2, 000 individuals.
British Foreign Minister David Lammy stated in a speech that he was committed to safeguarding Diego Garcia’s “long-term” activity.
Lammy said Powell, who helped broker a peace deal in Northern Ireland in 1998 that ended 30 years of separatist violence, was well suited to carry out the delicate conversations.
Working with him as we work toward a deal that safeguards both our companions ‘ objectives and those of the UK, Lammy said.
The Chagos Islands ‘ residents have been fighting for years to be allowed to return, and a non-binding solution in the UN General Assembly in 2019 condemned Britain’s activity of the country, with most part says demanding that it be returned to Mauritius.
According to The Chagos Refugees Group, those who were forcibly relocated to the Seychelles and Mauritius have experienced “extreme difficulties and hunger.”
In 2016, Britain’s Foreign Ministry extended Diego Garcia’s rent until 2036, and declared the expelled locals would not be allowed to go back.
During the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Diego Garcia served as a powerful US foundation and a launch pad for long-range aircraft.
