Mauritian Prime Minister Sir Anerood Jugnauth on Friday stressed that the intention of Mauritius to seek an Advisory Opinion from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on the issue of the Chagos “should not be viewed as an unfriendly act since Mauritius is fighting for a legitimate cause.”
The UK, US embassies in Port-Louis said in a joint communiqué Friday that that the Mauritian request for an Advisory Opinion from the ICJ would cause lasting damage to the bilateral relations of Mauritius with both the US and the UK.
In a communique issued later, Sir Jugnauth said he met on 23 June 2016 with Mr. Patrick F. Kennedy, the Under Secretary for Management at the US Department of State, and Mr. Neil Wigan, Africa Director at the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office, at the request of the UK and the US.
During the meeting, the Prime Minister reiterated the sovereignty of Mauritius over the Chagos Archipelago, including Diego Garcia.
He reaffirmed that Mauritius does not recognize the so-called “British Indian Ocean Territory” which the UK purported to create by illegally exciting the Chagos Archipelago from the territory of Mauritius prior to its accession to independence, in violation of international law and United Nations General Assembly resolutions.
Sir Jugnauth recalled the undertaking given by the UK on several occasions to Mauritius that the Chagos Archipelago would be returned to Mauritius when no longer required for defense purposes.
He impressed on the need for the UK to honor its promise by completing the process of decolonization of Mauritius and returning the Chagos Archipelago to the effective control of Mauritius.
In this regard, the Prime Minister reiterated his request for the return of the Chagos Archipelago by the UK to the effective control of Mauritius by a precise date to be agreed upon. The UK has been asked to give a reply to that request by the end of June 2016.
The Prime Minister reiterated that Mauritius would have no objection to the Diego Garcia military base being maintained for defense purposes in the context of an agreement providing for the return of the Chagos Archipelago to the effective control of Mauritius by an agreed date.
He indicated that once an agreement is reached on a precise date for the return of the Chagos Archipelago to the effective control of Mauritius and upon the signature of that agreement, Mauritius was even prepared to grant under that agreement a long-term lease to the US in respect of Diego Garcia, subject to the payment of a rent.
“In that lease, if the US so decides, a clause may be inserted to the effect that it will be renewable on its expiry,” the Prime Ministre declared.
He also expressed the wish that Mauritius should have control over the other islands of the Chagos Archipelago and that Mauritian citizens of Chagossian origin and other Mauritian citizens should be able to return to those islands if they so wish.
The Prime Minister urged the UK to return the Chagos Archipelago to the effective control of Mauritius by an agreed date so that the decolonization process of Mauritius could be completed and there would be a win-win situation for Mauritius, the UK and the US.
He also requested a meeting with the UK Prime Minister and the US President to discuss the issue of the return of the Chagos Archipelago to the effective control of Mauritius.
