UK Agrees to Pay 'Billions of Rupees' in Compensation to Mauritius, African Minister Says

© AP PhotoThis image released by the US Navy shows an aerial view of Diego Garcia island in Chagos Archipelago.
This image released by the US Navy shows an aerial view of Diego Garcia island in Chagos Archipelago. - Sputnik Africa, 1920, 16.10.2024
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MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The United Kingdom has agreed to pay a compensation worth billions of rupees to Mauritius following the decision to hand over the Chagos Archipelago to Mauritius, Mauritian Minister of Land Transport and Light Rail Alan Ganoo said on Tuesday.
"England has agreed to pay us a compensation; it amounts to many billions of rupees," Ganoo was quoted as saying by the Defimedia.info news outlet.
The minister said the amount will help Mauritius become one of the biggest developing countries.
On October 3, the United Kingdom agreed to hand sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius. Under the deal, the UK also promised to create a new trust fund and provide other support for the benefit of Chagossians, as well as provide a package of financial support to Mauritius, including an "indexed annual payment for the duration of the agreement" and infrastructure investment, according to the UK-Mauritius joint statement. The UK however will retain control of the US-UK base on the Diego Garcia island for an initial period of 99 years.
Une plage, image d'illustration - Sputnik Africa, 1920, 12.10.2024
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The Chagos Archipelago was British territory since 1814. The government of Mauritius has long argued that it was illegally forced to give up the islands in exchange for independence from the UK in 1968. The agreement was reached after 13 rounds of talks that began in 2022, when Mauritian calls for sovereignty were recognized by the International Court of Justice and the UN General Assembly in 2019 and 2021.
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