Chagos: « The law is established, it remains to be applied, » warns former diplomat Vijay Makhan

Former Mauritian diplomat Vijay Makhan delivered a candid analysis on the situation of the Chagos in an opinion piece published this Monday. For him, the question of sovereignty has been legally settled since the agreement signed on May 22, 2025, between Mauritius and the United Kingdom. What is concerning today is the lack of concrete implementation of this historic agreement.

A firm agreement on paper, fragile in reality

The agreement of May 22, 2025, represents the culmination of over fifty years of diplomatic struggle. Mauritius has obtained formal recognition of its sovereignty over the Chagos archipelago, including Diego Garcia, an island where the United States maintains one of its most important military bases in the Indian Ocean. The text signed between Port Louis and London was hailed as a historic victory, both for international law and for the Chagossians forcibly expelled in the 1960s and 1970s.
However, according to Vijay Makhan, former Deputy Secretary-General of the African Union and a respected figure in regional diplomacy, the United Kingdom has now put on hold the bill necessary for the ratification of this agreement. The legislative text, which must be adopted by the British Parliament for the agreement to take full effect, would not be included in the upcoming King’s speech. This absence, according to the former diplomat, is no longer just a procedural delay.

« It is no longer a matter of timing, it is a matter of will »

« A state cannot claim its commitment to the rule of law on the international stage and indefinitely delay the implementation of an agreement based on that same law, » stated Vijay Makhan. For him, London finds itself in a fundamental contradiction: preaching respect for international law while freezing an agreement it itself signed and approved.
This inertia could largely be explained by the pressures exerted by Washington. The United States, whose base at Diego Garcia is vital for their military operations in the Middle East and South Asia, view the transfer of sovereignty to Mauritius with suspicion. American lawmakers, particularly in the Senate, are said to have pressured Downing Street to slow down the process or even quietly block it.

The Chagossians at the heart of the debate

In addition to these geopolitical pressures, actions by certain Chagossian groups based in the UK, who oppose their homeland coming under Mauritian administration, have emerged. These well-organized and media-savvy groups advocate for a right to self-determination distinct from Mauritian sovereignty. Some are campaigning for a status similar to that of British overseas territories.
Vijay Makhan acknowledges the legitimacy of Chagossian claims regarding the right to return and reparations. However, he emphasizes that these issues do not undermine the legal foundation of Mauritian sovereignty, established notably by the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice in 2019 and successive resolutions of the United Nations General Assembly.

The Mauritian response: firmness and balance

In light of this situation, the former diplomat calls on the Ramgoolam government to adopt a firm yet nuanced stance. Neither passivity—which would be interpreted as a tacit acceptance of the status quo—nor a sudden rupture, which could weaken bilateral relations with London and compromise other Mauritian interests.
Mauritius today has real diplomatic leverage. The country can rely on the support of the African Union, which has always defended its position, as well as the backing of many UN member states. Mobilization within the Commonwealth, of which both Mauritius and the UK are members, could also exert additional pressure.
For Vijay Makhan, the stakes go far beyond the Chagos archipelago alone. It is the credibility of international law that is at stake. If an agreement signed between two states can be indefinitely delayed under geopolitical pressures, the entire multilateral system is weakened. Mauritius now finds itself at the crossroads of historical justice and realpolitik. And how it navigates this complexity will say much about its diplomatic maturity.

La rédaction ZotNews

L’équipe éditoriale de ZotNews. Une rédaction indépendante qui vérifie et cite ses sources pour informer l’île Maurice.