African Union urges Britain to cede Chagos Islands, end 'colonial' rule

 

FILE PHOTO: Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth addresses the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly at U.N. headquarters in New York, U.S., September 28, 2018. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz/

 

PORT LOUIS (Reuters) - The African Union on Friday called on Britain to withdraw from the Chagos Islands and end its "continued colonial administration" there after a U.N. deadline for it to do so expired.

 

The Chagos Islands belong to the Indian Ocean island nation of Mauritius, according to an advisory opinion from the top United Nations court issued in February. The U.N. General Assembly voted in May in favour of Britain returning the islands to Mauritius and set a deadline for Nov. 22.

 

The African Union urged Britain to comply with the U.N. resolution and reiterated the AU's support "for a complete decolonisation" of the Chagos Islands.

 

Britain does not recognise Mauritius' sovereignty claim.

 

"The UK has no doubt as to our sovereignty over the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT), which has been under continuous British sovereignty since 1814," Britain's Foreign Office said in a statement on Nov. 5.

 

Around 200 protesters gathered outside the British High Commission in Port Louis, the capital of Mauritius, on Friday.

They demanded Britain cede the Chagos Islands to Mauritius and said they wanted to return to the archipelago where they were born.

 

A group supporting the rights of people indigenous to the Chagos Islands said they were considering options for filing a case against Britain at the International Criminal Court.

 

"We have to look at different avenues given that the UK is not complying with the decision of the United Nations," Olivier Bancoult, who was born on one of the islands of the archipelago and is leader of the Chagossian Refugee Group, told Reuters.

 

Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth said that Britain's refusal to give up control of the islands was a violation of international law.

 

"The United Kingdom cannot profess to be a champion of the rule of law and human rights whilst maintaining an illegal colonial administration," he told parliament on Thursday.

 

The only inhabited island of the Indian Ocean archipelago is home to the Diego Garcia U.S. military base, rented out by Britain, and a bomber base for the Air Force.

 

Mauritius will continue to allow the United States to operate the base even if it resumed control over the islands, Jugnauth said in parliament on Thursday.

 

"Mauritius has stated on various occasions that it fully recognizes the importance of the military base in Diego Garcia and will take no action that will impede its continued operation," he said.

 

(Reporting by Jean Paul Arouff; Writing by Maggie Fick; Editing by Mark Heinrich)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-11-23

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What are the odds China is behind this?

 

3 hours ago, rooster59 said:

The United Kingdom cannot profess to be a champion of the rule of law and human rights whilst maintaining an illegal colonial administration," he told parliament on Thursday.

The “do as we say, not as we do” mindset, and arrogant disregard for other countries rights, of former colonial powers is hard to shake off it seems. 

While Mauritius is the last government I'd give them back to, it's time for the British government to apologise to the ousted inhabitants and make amends by allowing them to return home. Britain has behaved extremely badly in this and shame on all British governments that have behaved so disgustingly.

The islands in question are no where near Africa or Mauritius. They are in the middle of the Indian ocean half way between India and Mauritius. I don't see the UK giving them up, but if the predicted sealevel rise is at all real, they'll disappear along with Mauritius and many other pea-size nations in the middle of the world's oceans.

In a different part of the Indian Ocean - the Mozambique canal - the French are behaving in the same way as Britain and refusing to hand back the Malagasy Islands to Madagascar in spite of a long-standing UN decision in Madagascar's favour.

16 minutes ago, TooBigToFit said:

I don't see the UK giving them up, but if the predicted sealevel rise is at all real, they'll disappear along with Mauritius and many other pea-size nations in the middle of the world's oceans.

Mauritius....with a mountainous elevation of 828m... if sea level rises like you predict to cause Mauritius to disappear... then we are pretty well all doomed.... silly inane comments like this do you no credit sorry to say

when Russia gives the Crimea back .....

The UK needs the rent from the Americans, probably their biggest source of foreign income.????

1 hour ago, George Aylesham said:

In a different part of the Indian Ocean - the Mozambique canal - the French are behaving in the same way as Britain and refusing to hand back the Malagasy Islands to Madagascar in spite of a long-standing UN decision in Madagascar's favour.

Actually, Madagascar and whatever small islands might be near it are the Malagasay Islands and got their independence from France in 1960.

5 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

While Mauritius is the last government I'd give them back to, it's time for the British government to apologise to the ousted inhabitants and make amends by allowing them to return home. Britain has behaved extremely badly in this and shame on all British governments that have behaved so disgustingly.

What is your problem with the government of Mauritius?

The 2015 Ibrahim Index of African Governance ranked Mauritius first in good governance.^[1] According to the 2015 Democracy Index compiled by the Economist Intelligence Unit that measures the state of democracy in 167 countries, Mauritius ranks 18th worldwide followed by Uruguay and United States and is the only African country with Full Democracy.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Government_of_Mauritius

An excellent documentary on the transfer of the entire population of Chagos is appearing on Al Jazeera, available online:

https://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/witness/2019/11/paradise-chagos-islanders-fight-justice-191117140229313.html

Troll post reported and removed. 

 

‘Taking back our country’ is one of the slogans of the Brexiteers, but apparently that is something that isn’t valid where occupied foreign territories are concerned.........

12 minutes ago, damascase said:

‘Taking back our country’ is one of the slogans of the Brexiteers, but apparently that is something that isn’t valid where occupied foreign territories are concerned.........

Have the Chagosians had  a referendum on voted on whether they wanted to leave or not ?

8 minutes ago, sanemax said:

Have the Chagosians had  a referendum on voted on whether they wanted to leave or not ?

That referendum would be extremely difficult to organise.

 

FROM WIKI:

 

The Chagos was home to the Chagossians, a Bourbonnais Creole-speaking people, for more than a century and a half until the United Kingdom evicted them between 1967 and 1973 to allow the United States to build a military base on Diego Garcia, the largest of the Chagos Islands. Since 1971, only the atoll of Diego Garcia is inhabited, and only by military and civilian contracted personnel. Since being expelled, Chagossian natives have been prevented from returning to the islands.

 

Maybe you should google before you make silly comments.

14 minutes ago, oldhippy said:

That referendum would be extremely difficult to organise.

 

FROM WIKI:

 

The Chagos was home to the Chagossians, a Bourbonnais Creole-speaking people, for more than a century and a half until the United Kingdom evicted them between 1967 and 1973 to allow the United States to build a military base on Diego Garcia, the largest of the Chagos Islands. Since 1971, only the atoll of Diego Garcia is inhabited, and only by military and civilian contracted personnel. Since being expelled, Chagossian natives have been prevented from returning to the islands.

 

Maybe you should google before you make silly comments.

They could have allowed Chagogians who dont live there anymore

 to be able to vote (as long as they register beforehand) , just like British people in Thailand could have done in the UK referendum .

   Maybe you should think about things, before posting silly comments yourself ?

They could of had a postal vote ?

20 minutes ago, sanemax said:

Have the Chagosians had  a referendum on voted on whether they wanted to leave or not ?

No, the British wouldn’t allow that????.

I donot understand the issue: Mauritius sold these 67 km2 in 1965 for £3 million. The local inhabitants, a 1000 persons, got £4,75 million so… ? ?  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chagos_Archipelago. You think, Russia would have a chance in claiming back Alaska, or France with Louisiana  see   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louisiana_(New_France) .

Or Thailand claims back Kedah (Thai: ไทรบุรี, romanized: Saiburi), Kelantan (กลันตัน, Kalantan), Perlis (ปะลิส, Palit) and Terengganu (ตรังกานู, Trangkanu)  ?  

10 minutes ago, sanemax said:

They could have allowed Chagogians who dont live there anymore

 to be able to vote (as long as they register beforehand) , just like British people in Thailand could have done in the UK referendum .

   Maybe you should think about things, before posting silly comments yourself ?

They could of had a postal vote ?

555

I am happy that the spirit of Monty Python is still alive, in spite of brexit.

13 hours ago, rooster59 said:

They demanded Britain cede the Chagos Islands to Mauritius

To end colonial rule ?

Mauritiss takes control of the island and that puts an end to colonial rule 

EErrrrmmmm

11 minutes ago, puipuitom said:

I donot understand the issue: Mauritius sold these 67 km2 in 1965 for £3 million. The local inhabitants, a 1000 persons, got £4,75 million so… ? ?  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chagos_Archipelago

To be more precise.....

From WIKI:

In November 1965, the UK purchased the entire Chagos Archipelago from the then self-governing colony of Mauritius for £3 million to create the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT),

 

 

11 minutes ago, sanemax said:

To end colonial rule ?

Mauritiss takes control of the island and that puts an end to colonial rule 

EErrrrmmmm

EErrrrmmmm yes

32 minutes ago, sanemax said:

They could have allowed Chagogians who dont live there anymore

 to be able to vote (as long as they register beforehand) , just like British people in Thailand could have done in the UK referendum .

   Maybe you should think about things, before posting silly comments yourself ?

They could of had a postal vote ?

I doubt they have a post office.

8 minutes ago, oldhippy said:

EErrrrmmmm yes

Shouldnt the Chagogians also be seeking independence from Mauritius if they want independence ?

8 minutes ago, sanemax said:

Shouldnt the Chagogians also be seeking independence from Mauritius if they want independence ?

Yes, they could apply for the proper forms, and send them from their newly built postoffice.

10 hours ago, Bluespunk said:

 

The “do as we say, not as we do” mindset, and arrogant disregard for other countries rights, of former colonial powers is hard to shake off it seems. 

A few militants stirred up by the Chinese and the corrupt to the core African Union, egged on by the for sale UN causing trouble.

1 hour ago, damascase said:

No, the British wouldn’t allow that????.

Nobody is stopping them leaving.

12 minutes ago, sunnyboy2018 said:

A few militants stirred up by the Chinese and the corrupt to the core African Union, egged on by the for sale UN causing trouble.

Nonsense. 

1 hour ago, sunnyboy2018 said:

A few militants stirred up by the Chinese and the corrupt to the core African Union, egged on by the for sale UN causing trouble.

you forgot to mention the international court, communists as well no doubt......