India reaffirms support for Mauritius amid Chagos sovereignty dispute

New Delhi, July 16: During a joint address with the Prime Minister of Mauritius, Dr S. Jaishankar, Minister of External Affairs, reaffirmed India's steadfast support for Mauritius regarding the Chagos Archipelago sovereignty issue. "As we look at our deep and enduring relationship, Prime Minister, I would like to again assure you today that on the issue of Chagos, India will continue its consistent support to Mauritius in line with its principal stand on decolonization and support for sovereignty and territorial integrity of nations," said Dr. Jaishankar.

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) recommended in 2019 that Mauritius should be recognized as the sovereign state of the Chagos Archipelago, highlighting the incomplete decolonization process and the UK's obligation to cease its administration of the islands.

Despite this, the UK maintains its claim over the archipelago. The United Nations had given the UK six months to transfer the territory, a directive yet to be fulfilled, with both the US and UK resisting the move.

In November 2022, British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly announced that the UK and Mauritius would commence negotiations on the sovereignty of the British Indian Ocean Territory, acknowledging international legal proceedings. Both nations agreed to ensure the continued operation of the joint UK/US military base on Diego Garcia, part of the Chagos Archipelago, which is leased to the US for defence purposes.

The Chagos Archipelago was detached from Mauritius by the UK in 1965, three years before Mauritius gained independence. Following this, the UK retained control over the archipelago, leading to the forced relocation of approximately 2,000 Chagossians to lease Diego Garcia to the US. Mauritius has since sought to internationalize the matter, approaching various legal and political forums due to a lack of progress with the UK.

In 2015, the Permanent Court of Arbitration criticized the UK for violating the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea by exercising control over the Chagos Islands. In June 2017, Mauritius received overwhelming support at the UN, with 94 nations, including India, favouring Mauritius's claim over the archipelago.

Dr. Jaishankar's visit to Mauritius from July 16-17, 2024, marks one of his first bilateral engagements following his re-appointment and follows the recent visit of the Prime Minister of Mauritius, Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, to India. During his visit, Dr Jaishankar met with the Prime Minister and other senior ministers, discussing various aspects of the bilateral relationship.

“I am truly delighted to return to this beautiful country and I am very thankful to you, Prime Minister, and to the Government of Mauritius for the warm welcome and generous hospitality,” said Dr Jaishankar.

During his speech, Dr Jaishankar highlighted the deep-rooted ties between India and Mauritius. “We discussed various aspects of our bilateral ties, including the Development Partnership, Defence and Maritime Corporation, economic and trade ties, and people-to-people linkages. I reiterated India's consistent and continued support to Mauritius in its quest for progress and prosperity. After all, our ties with Mauritius benefit from four Indian priority foreign policy approaches. You are part of our Neighbourhood First Policy, of our Vision SAGAR, of our Africa Forward Initiative, as well as our commitment to the Global South. In addition, we share the closest of bonds from history and kinship.”

Dr Jaishankar also mentioned recent significant engagements, such as President Draupadi Murmu's visit to Mauritius as the chief guest of the National Day celebrations. During his visit, Dr. Jaishankar handed over the first Overseas Citizen of India cards to two seventh-generation Indian-origin Mauritians, symbolizing the enduring ties between the two nations.

"Our relationship today has actually blossomed into a robust and multifaceted partnership. Indeed, it serves as a role model for India's successful development collaboration abroad," Dr. Jaishankar noted.

He highlighted key projects such as the Mediclinic in Grand Bois and the Civil Service College in Moka, both supported by Indian grants, emphasizing the tangible benefits of India-Mauritius collaboration.

“We truly take pride that our collaboration changes the lives of ordinary citizens in this country through many community development projects. These today cover infrastructure in education, healthcare, public amenities, and sports,” Dr. Jaishankar added.

Dr. Jaishankar also discussed the importance of space cooperation between India and Mauritius, marked by the exchange of the Project Plan Document between India's ISRO and Mauritius's MRIC for the early implementation of a satellite launch for Mauritius.

"It was a great pleasure to hand over to you, Minister, the royalty payment cheque of 1.3 million Mauritian rupees towards revenues earned from the sale of Mauritian nautical charts produced by our joint hydrography service," Dr. Jaishankar said, highlighting the long-standing maritime collaboration.

In efforts to preserve shared history, India will support the Mahatma Gandhi Institute in digitizing records of indentured workers and provide training to MGI staff through the National Archives of India. Additionally, the term of the ICCR Chair in Sanskrit and Indian Philosophies at MGI will be renewed for another five years.

In his concluding remarks, Dr. Jaishankar affirmed, "Let me conclude by affirming that India remains committed to strengthening this critical partnership that is so important for the future of the Indian Ocean region."