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MPs write to Prime Minister to urge Chagos resolution

Jun 28, 2020
1 min

MPs write to Prime Minister to urge Chagos resolution

A group of 30 MPs have written to the UK Prime Minister demanding action on delivering a promised £40m Support Package to Chagossians, the restoration of Chagossian right to live in their homeland and the ceding of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, in compliance with the UN General Assembly and International Court of Justice instructions of 2019. Members of the Labour Party, Liberal Democrats and SNP added their names to the letter, addressed to UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson

Chagossians to protest British High Commission

Nov 14, 2019
1 min

Chagossians to protest British High Commission

On Friday the 22 November, Chagossians will take to the streets outside the British High Commission in Port Louis, Mauritius. The protest, organised by Chagos Refugees Group, will demand Chagossians right to return to their homeland and call for the UK government to comply with the UN General Assembly vote 6 months ago, which called for the UK to cede control of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius. The UN General Assembly vote, carried by 116 votes to 5, set a deadline of six mon

UK Government statement on Chagos Islands

Nov 6, 2019
1 min

UK Government statement on Chagos Islands

On the final day before Parliament was dissolved, the UK government has released a new statement on the future of the Chagos Islands. The full statement can be read here. In May, the UN General Assembly voted overwhelmingly that the UK should cede control of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius within six months. This came after an International Court of Justice (ICJ) verdict which judged UK sovereignty of the islands was not legally established by international law, due to the ma

Olivier Bancoult addresses Labour Party Conference

Oct 1, 2019
1 min

Olivier Bancoult addresses Labour Party Conference

Olivier Bancoult, leader of Chagos Refugees Group, has addressed the Labour Party Conference to speak about the Chagossian community's aspirations to return to their homeland. In his speech, which you can see here on Youtube, Mr Bancoult praises the years of support Mr Corbyn has provided for the Chagossian community and notes the wide support for Chagossian return among other UK political parties, and numerous governments across the world. The Labour Party included restorati

Pope speaks up on Chagos dispute

Sep 14, 2019
1 min

Pope speaks up on Chagos dispute

Pope Francis has intervened on the dispute over the future of the Chagos Islands, speaking after a papal trip to Mauritius. Chagossians were involved in a papal mass in Mauritius, at the request of the Vatican following discussions with Chagos Refugees Group leader Olivier Bancoult. In remarks that are being widely interpreted as urging the United Kingdom to cede control of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, the Pope stated that: “It’s true that not always things that seem ‘jus

Chagossians react to UN vote condemning UK control of Chagos

Jun 2, 2019
3 min

Chagossians react to UN vote condemning UK control of Chagos

Last week the United Nations General Assembly backed a non-binding motion calling on the UK to end it's control of the Chagos Islands. The motion instructed that control and sovereignty of the islands should then pass to Mauritius. If control is ceded to Mauritius, the Mauritian government has pledged to support resettlement of the islands. In the week since the UN vote, many Chagossians living across the world have shared their opinion on the judgement, what this means and w

International Court of Justice tells UK to "end administration" of Chagos Islands

Mar 3, 2019
4 min

International Court of Justice tells UK to "end administration" of Chagos Islands

On 25 February the International Court of Justice (ICJ) instructed the UK to "end it's administration" of the Chagos Islands (known by the UK government as the British Indian Ocean Territory) "as rapidly as possible." The judgement is advisory and not legally binding, although judgements from the ICJ are widely considered to carry significant weight. Speaking in the House of Lords today (26 February), UK government Minister Baroness Goldie emphasised that the judgement was "a

International Court of Justice (ICJ) to give Chagos verdict 25 February

Feb 17, 2019
2 min

International Court of Justice (ICJ) to give Chagos verdict 25 February

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has confirmed it will deliver its verdict on a case brought by Mauritius against the United Kingdom concerning the Chagos Islands on Monday 25 February. The fact that court has decided to issue a judgement is significant in itself, as UK representatives had urged the court not to do so. They had argued that the court was in "no position" to deliver a verdict, as the matter was a bi-lateral dispute between Mauritius and the UK. The gove

International Court of Justice Chagos hearing concludes

Sep 27, 2018
3 min

International Court of Justice Chagos hearing concludes

After four days of public hearings, beginning on 3 rd September at The International Court of Justice (ICJ), in The Hague, the judges are currently deliberating the case of Mauritius’s dispute with the UK over sovereignty of the Chagos islands. The Court heard testimonies from representatives of 22 countries, plus those from the African Union, arguing the legality of the colonial-era deal and the rights of the displaced Chagos Islanders to resettle. The ICJ’s judgement is adv

Chagossian speaks in International Court of Justice Chagos case

Sep 10, 2018
3 min

Chagossian speaks in International Court of Justice Chagos case

On 3rd September native-born Chagossian Liseby Elyse spoke via video link in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) dispute on the sovereignty of the Chagos Islands. Madame Elysé 's speech was shown as part of the Mauritian delegation's presentation to the ICJ. Her words are translated in full below from the ICJ's transcript and her original speech can be viewed in the video below. Full transcripts of all presentations are available on the ICJ's website. My name is Liseby E

International Court of Justice Chagos case: Seychelles backs challenge to UK sovereignty over Chagos

Mar 11, 2018
1 min

International Court of Justice Chagos case: Seychelles backs challenge to UK sovereignty over Chagos

The government of the Seychelles have backed the Mauritian challenge to the UK’s claim over the Chagos Islands in an official submission to the International Court of Jusitce (ICJ). Late last year Mauritius were successful in convincing a majority of nations in the United Nations General Assembly to pass a motion referring the UK to the International Court of Justice (ICJ), in relation to it's treatment of the Chagos Islands at the time of Mauritian independence. Mauritius al

Former UK High Commissioners to Mauritius debate Chagos

Sep 21, 2017
2 min

Former UK High Commissioners to Mauritius debate Chagos

In the Mauritian press this month two former UK High Commissioners to Mauritius have debated the future of the Chagos Islands. Speaking to English language current affairs magazine Weekly, outgoing High Commissioner Jonathan Drew took part in a feisty interview with a Mauritian journalist. Mr Drew defends the UK's sovereignty claim over the Chagos Islands in detail, which is thoroughly questioned by the Mauritian interviewer. He also downplays the significance of the UN Gene

UN refers UK to International Court of Justice over Chagos

Jun 23, 2017
3 min

UN refers UK to International Court of Justice over Chagos

The UN General Assembly has voted to refer the UK to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) with regards to the validity of the nation's sovereignty claim over the Chagos Islands. The motion to refer the UK to the ICJ was proposed by Mauritius, which also holds a sovereignty claim over the Chagos Islands. Speaking prior to the vote, veteran Mauritian politician and Minister for Defence and Rodrigues Sir Anerood Jugnauth noted that he had spoken with Chagossians about the mo

Mauritius PM calls for end to "illegal occupation" of Chagos Islands

Oct 4, 2015
1 min

Mauritius PM calls for end to "illegal occupation" of Chagos Islands

In last week's UN General Assembly the Mauritian Prime Minister Sir Anerood Jugnauth criticised what he branded the "illegal occupation" (linked article in French) of the Chagos Islands by the UK. In his speech he also offered support for the Chagossian people's campaign to win the right to return to their homeland. Sir Anerood stated that the Government he leads is "fully sensitive to Chagossians' plight and their legitimate aspirations, as Mauritian citizens, to resettle in