WHAT IS CHAGOS ARCHIPELAGO ISSUE ? - INDIA BACKS MAURITIUS
BACKGROUND
The Chagos Archipelago is a group of seven atolls comprising more than 60 islands in the Indian Ocean about 500 km south of the Maldives.
Archipelago - an extensive group of islands
It had been part of Mauritius since the 18th century when the French first settled the islands.
First French came and then Britishers came.
All of the islands of French colonial territory in the region were ceded (give up) to the British in 1810.
Before Mauritian independence, in 1965, the UK split the archipelago (as they think this island is very important) from the territory of Mauritius to form the British Indian Ocean Territory and permitted the US to use it for defence purposes for 50 years (until December 2016) followed by a 20-year optional extension.
Now 50 years already completed and Mauritius wants land back.
Following this US Military Base was setup in Diego Garcia, the largest of the islands. and due to this 2,000 inhabitants were resettled in Mauritius and the Seychelles.
For UK, Diego Garcia is very imporant as they have setup their naval Base there.
Therefore Mauritius claims sovereignty over the islands and states that Britain’s claim is a violation of law and of UN resolutions. ( Because
The UN resolutions banned the dismemberment of colonial territories before independence and UK split this island from Mauritius before independence )
The resettled inhabitants now number around 10,000 including their descendants and they wish to resettle.
UK declared that area as Marine Protected Area around Chagos in 2010, which prohibits fishing and extractive industry and has the effect of preventing any resettlement.
In 2015, Mauritius filed the compliant in the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) and PCA ruled this move as illegal under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
According to PCA, Mauritius holds legally binding rights
In November 2016, the U.K. ruled out the resettlement of the islanders on the grounds of feasibility, defence, security interests and the cost.
UK also renewed the lease for Diego Garcia with US, up until 2036.
Subsequently, Mauritius warned to UK that it would push to take the matter to the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
The International Court of Justice is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations in Netherlands.
So, whether this matter will go in ICJ or not, United Nations do the voting and Mauritius win. 94 countries voted in favour of Mauritius only 15 countries voted in favour of UK.
See the list, which country voted in favour of UK and which country voted in favour of Mauritius and which country did not vote and abstain itself.
Now, UK is fighting in ICJ against Mauritius.
WHY THIS NOW IN NEWS ?
India's ambassador to the Netherland 'Venu Rajamony' told the ICJ that according to "historic facts" , Mauritius always had sovereignty over the chagos archipelago.
i.e. India took the favour of Mauritius.
India has backed Mauritius over its claim on the disputed Chagos islands, which is home to Diego Garcia — the key military base of the U.K. and the U.S. in the Indian Ocean, saying its decolonization was incomplete as long as the atolls were under British control. India’s stand was presented before the ICJ here by India’s Ambassador to the Netherlands Venu Rajamony.
For more information, you can access the below links:
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/india-backs-mauritius-claim-on-chagos-archipelago-at-international-court-of-justice/articleshow/65694774.cms
https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/india-supports-mauritius-claim-over-disputed-chagos-islands-under-uk-control/article24876674.ece
Above Information is as per data available in news till the date when I am posting this.
For Other Topics visit - http://learn2ogether.blogspot.com/
The Chagos Archipelago is a group of seven atolls comprising more than 60 islands in the Indian Ocean about 500 km south of the Maldives.
Archipelago - an extensive group of islands
It had been part of Mauritius since the 18th century when the French first settled the islands.
First French came and then Britishers came.
All of the islands of French colonial territory in the region were ceded (give up) to the British in 1810.
Before Mauritian independence, in 1965, the UK split the archipelago (as they think this island is very important) from the territory of Mauritius to form the British Indian Ocean Territory and permitted the US to use it for defence purposes for 50 years (until December 2016) followed by a 20-year optional extension.
Now 50 years already completed and Mauritius wants land back.
Following this US Military Base was setup in Diego Garcia, the largest of the islands. and due to this 2,000 inhabitants were resettled in Mauritius and the Seychelles.
For UK, Diego Garcia is very imporant as they have setup their naval Base there.
Therefore Mauritius claims sovereignty over the islands and states that Britain’s claim is a violation of law and of UN resolutions. ( Because
The UN resolutions banned the dismemberment of colonial territories before independence and UK split this island from Mauritius before independence )
The resettled inhabitants now number around 10,000 including their descendants and they wish to resettle.
UK declared that area as Marine Protected Area around Chagos in 2010, which prohibits fishing and extractive industry and has the effect of preventing any resettlement.
In 2015, Mauritius filed the compliant in the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) and PCA ruled this move as illegal under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
According to PCA, Mauritius holds legally binding rights
- To fish in the waters surrounding the Chagos
- To the eventual return of the Chagos to Mauritius when no longer needed for defence purposes
- To the preservation of the benefit of any minerals or oil discovered in the Chagos Archipelago pending its eventual return.
In November 2016, the U.K. ruled out the resettlement of the islanders on the grounds of feasibility, defence, security interests and the cost.
UK also renewed the lease for Diego Garcia with US, up until 2036.
Subsequently, Mauritius warned to UK that it would push to take the matter to the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
The International Court of Justice is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations in Netherlands.
So, whether this matter will go in ICJ or not, United Nations do the voting and Mauritius win. 94 countries voted in favour of Mauritius only 15 countries voted in favour of UK.
See the list, which country voted in favour of UK and which country voted in favour of Mauritius and which country did not vote and abstain itself.
Now, UK is fighting in ICJ against Mauritius.
WHY THIS NOW IN NEWS ?
India's ambassador to the Netherland 'Venu Rajamony' told the ICJ that according to "historic facts" , Mauritius always had sovereignty over the chagos archipelago.
i.e. India took the favour of Mauritius.
India has backed Mauritius over its claim on the disputed Chagos islands, which is home to Diego Garcia — the key military base of the U.K. and the U.S. in the Indian Ocean, saying its decolonization was incomplete as long as the atolls were under British control. India’s stand was presented before the ICJ here by India’s Ambassador to the Netherlands Venu Rajamony.
For more information, you can access the below links:
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/india-backs-mauritius-claim-on-chagos-archipelago-at-international-court-of-justice/articleshow/65694774.cms
https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/india-supports-mauritius-claim-over-disputed-chagos-islands-under-uk-control/article24876674.ece
Above Information is as per data available in news till the date when I am posting this.
For Other Topics visit - http://learn2ogether.blogspot.com/
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