In October 2024, the United Kingdom handed over sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, ending decades of often fractious negotiations between the two nations. The move also reignited one of the most shameful episodes in recent geopolitical history, that of the forced deportation of up to 2,000 Chagossians from their native land to make way for the construction of a joint US-UK military base. In signing over the islands, the UK relinquished one of its very last vestiges of empire. But together with the United States, it keeps control of one of the most secretive and controversial armed forces installations in the world.But where exactly are the Chagos Islands, and why did the UK give them up?
Click through and revisit the history behind this significant announcement.