When Will Britain's Colonialism End?
In comparison to their size, the Chagos Islands have been at the heart of a disproportionate number of diplomatic issues.
The tiny archipelago first fell under British colonial rule in 1814 and has remained so ever since. The islands came close to achieving independence in the mid 1960s as part of nearby Mauritius, but before that could happen, the Chagos Islands were separated into a different territory that remained under British control.
To this day, the islands are still officially referred to by the UK government as the British Indian Ocean Territory.
The reason that the islands were retained was so that they could be leased to the American government for the construction of an air base on the largest island, Diego Garcia. Sadly, this required the displacement of around 1,500 native Chagossians.
Since that point, there has been an ongoing campaign to grant the Chagos Islands their independence. Mauritius has revealed that it was pressured into ceding control of the islands and told that their use for military purposes would only ever be temporary.
Meanwhile, the UK has used every legal trick in the book to maintain its rule. This country has declared the islands to be a marine protected area, denied the jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice and then flouted its ruling.
If you want a more detailed discussion of the injustices that have befallen the Chagossian population, then there is a wonderful documentary by the late great John Pilger that I have linked to here.
In the meantime, the more recent context for this piece is that while in 2022 the former prime minister Liz Truss opened negotiations with Mauritius to discuss the sovereignty of the Chagos Islands, not much progress was made before the Conservatives left office earlier this year.
A new government means a fresh opportunity for progress on this issue.
The former leader of the Labour Party, Jeremy Corbyn, was a strong advocate for the Chagossian population, but Keir Starmer’s position has never been especially clear.
There was, however, cause for hope this week when the veteran diplomat Jonathan Powell was appointed as a special envoy for sovereignty talks on the Chagos Islands.
Those with an awareness of modern political history will recognise Powell as a former Chief of Staff under Tony Blair. He is also no stranger to important and sensitive political talks, given that he played a vital role in securing peace in Northern Ireland via the Good Friday Agreement of 1998.
At 68 years old, Powell no longer plays a central role in British political life, but that should not be taken as a sign that this new government intends to sweep the issue of the Chagos Islands under the rug.
If anything, Powell's experience and name recognition ought to be viewed as an intention to make meaningful progress on this sensitive issue. Powell will not want his own legacy to be marred by a failure towards the end of his time in public service.
Speaking about the appointment, the Foreign Secretary, David Lammy, said:
“Negotiations with Mauritius over the BIOT/Chagos Archipelago are critical to the UK’s security. We are determined to protect the long-term, secure and effective operation of the joint UK/U.S. military base on Diego Garcia.
“Jonathan Powell’s experience working with governments of all colours in the most sensitive international negotiations makes him uniquely qualified to serve as the Prime Minister’s Special Envoy.”
Those comments, with their focus on the continued operation of the military base on Diego Garcia, will rightly be a cause of concern for the Chagossian people and those campaigning on their behalf.
The sad truth is that despite international pressure from official bodies and human rights groups, the U.S. lease is only contracted to end in 2036 and the UK is likely going to honour that agreement.
The best that can be hoped for is that the agreement will not be extended any further beyond that time. This is a promise that the UK should make as soon as possible, and plans should start to be made for the repatriation of the native population.
The failure of successive UK governments to treat the Chagos Islands as a home instead of merely a tactical military location is a shameful continuation of colonial politics into the 21st century. Such an injustice should end as soon as possible.
No podcast again this week but my series of updates for my Gumroad courses continues with an annual update on commercial law. Subscribe for the final video next week on the subject of family law.
Make a difference today,
Marcus