UK's Handover of Chagos Islands to Mauritius Sparks Falklands Sovereignty Row With Argentina

© AP Photo / Liam McBurney / British Prime Minister Boris Johnson at Thales weapons manufacturer in Belfast, Monday May 16, 2022British Prime Minister Boris Johnson at Thales weapons manufacturer in Belfast, Monday May 16, 2022
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson at Thales weapons manufacturer in Belfast, Monday May 16, 2022 - Sputnik Africa, 1920, 04.10.2024
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Earlier this week, following decades of dispute, Mauritius has finally regained full sovereignty over the Chagos Islands, including Diego Garcia, after the UK agreed to cede control.
The UK's decision to return the Chagos Islands to Mauritius has sparked controversy, with former Prime Minister Liz Truss accusing her predecessor, Boris Johnson, of initiating the deal while serving as Foreign Secretary.
The current government, led by Prime Minister Keir Starmer, has agreed to hand over the islands in exchange for a 99-year lease on a key military base on Diego Garcia, the archipelago's largest island.
This move has emboldened Argentina, which has long claimed sovereignty over the Falkland Islands.
Chagossian families celebrate at the Groupe Refugies Chagos headquarters on February 25, 2019, the news that the United Nations' top court had told Britain to give up control of the Indian Ocean archipelago. - Sputnik Africa, 1920, 15.04.2023
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Argentina's Foreign Minister, Diana Mondino, hailed the Chagos decision as a victory and vowed to take "concrete action" to secure Argentina's "full sovereignty" over the Falklands. She sees the UK's decision as a precedent that could bolster Argentina's claims.
Mauritius has welcomed the return of the Chagos Islands, viewing it as a key step in completing its decolonization process. Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth emphasized the importance of reclaiming the territory separated from Mauritius during its independence in 1968.
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