UK High Court blocks deal over Chagos Islands transfer

A UK High Court Judge has temporarily halted talks in government on the transferring of autonomy over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius on May 22nd. The last-minute decision came just hours before the agreement was to be signed at a virtual ceremony that same day, witnessed by Mauritian government officials.

According to Al Jazeera, the decision was granted after two British nationals, Bernadette Dugasse and Bertrice Pompe, who were born on Diego Garcia – the largest of the islands – brought a case against the Foreign Office, claiming the islands should remain under British rule.

The UK, having controlled the region since 1814, officially claimed the Chagos Islands as British Indian Ocean Territory, separating them from Mauritius.

Al Jazeera/BBC