UN experts on Tuesday called for the suspension of a recently signed agreement between the UK and Mauritius, warning that it fails to safeguard the rights of the displaced Chagossian people.
The bilateral deal, signed on May 22, transfers sovereignty of the Chagos Archipelago, including Diego Garcia, to Mauritius, marking a formal step toward completing the country’s decolonization. But UN experts said the agreement lacks guarantees for the Chagossians’ right to return, effective remedy, and cultural protections.
“By maintaining a foreign military presence of the United Kingdom and the United States on Diego Garcia and preventing the Chagossian people from returning… the agreement appears to be at variance with the Chagossians’ right to return,” the experts said in a statement.
They also questioned whether the proposed £40 million (over $54 million) Trust Fund would meet standards for “effective remedy and adequate, effective, and prompt reparation,” as the agreement currently omits restitution, satisfaction, and guarantees of non-repetition.
The experts criticized the absence of provisions enabling access to cultural sites or safeguarding the Chagossians’ heritage. They urged both governments to renegotiate the deal, saying: “We call for the ratification of the agreement to be suspended and for a new agreement to be negotiated that fully guarantees the rights of the Chagossian people.”