Chagos Islands deal paused by last-minute authorized motion

[ad_1] Kate Whannel Political reporter

<img sizes="(min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 1008px) 66vw, 96vw" srcset="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/240/cpsprodpb/62ce/live/3353d610-36dd-11f0-b84e-417dbe11adb9.jpg.webp 240w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/320/cpsprodpb/62ce/live/3353d610-36dd-11f0-b84e-417dbe11adb9.jpg.webp 320w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/62ce/live/3353d610-36dd-11f0-b84e-417dbe11adb9.jpg.webp 480w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/640/cpsprodpb/62ce/live/3353d610-36dd-11f0-b84e-417dbe11adb9.jpg.webp 640w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/800/cpsprodpb/62ce/live/3353d610-36dd-11f0-b84e-417dbe11adb9.jpg.webp 800w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/cpsprodpb/62ce/live/3353d610-36dd-11f0-b84e-417dbe11adb9.jpg.webp 1024w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1536/cpsprodpb/62ce/live/3353d610-36dd-11f0-b84e-417dbe11adb9.jpg.webp 1536w" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/62ce/live/3353d610-36dd-11f0-b84e-417dbe11adb9.jpg.webp" loading="eager" alt="Reuters Aerial shot of Diego Garcia, in the Chagos Islands" class="sc-4abb68ca-0 ldLcJe"/> Reuters Diego Garcia, the biggest island within the archipelago, was separated from Mauritius together with the remainder of the Chagos Islands in 1965 and now homes a US army base

The federal government has briefly been banned from concluding talks on the Chagos Islands deal by a last-minute injunction by a Excessive Courtroom decide.

At 02:25 BST Mr Justice Goose granted "interim aid" to 2 Chagossian girls who had introduced a case in opposition to the Overseas Workplace.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer had been anticipated to attend a digital signing ceremony with representatives of the Mauritian authorities on Thursday morning.

The settlement would see the UK hand the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, however permit the UK and US to proceed utilizing a army base situated on the Pacific Ocean archipelago for an preliminary interval of 99 years.

The UK authorities is but to set out the estimated funds the British taxpayer would make to Mauritius as a part of the deal, however it's anticipated to run into the billions.

Responding to the courtroom injunction, a authorities spokesperson stated: "We don't touch upon ongoing authorized circumstances. This deal is the fitting factor to guard the British folks and our nationwide safety."

Mauritius Legal professional Normal Gavin Glover stated: "For the reason that matter is because of be heard shortly as we speak, it could not be acceptable for us to make any feedback."

The courtroom will hear the case once more at 10:30 on Thursday.

The authorized motion was introduced by two Chagossian girls, Bernadette Dugasse and Bertrice Pompe.

Earlier this 12 months, their lawyer Michael Polak stated: "The federal government's try to present away the Chagossians' homeland while failing to carry a proper session with the Chagossian folks is a continuation of their horrible therapy by the authorities prior to now.

"They continue to be the folks with the closest connection to the islands, however their wants and needs are being ignored."

In his early-morning order, the decide stated: "The defendant shall take no conclusive or legally binding step to conclude its negotiations regarding the potential switch of the British Indian Ocean Territory, also referred to as the Chagos Archipelago, to a international authorities or bind itself as to the actual phrases of any such switch."

"The defendant is to take care of the jurisdiction of the UK over the British Indian Ocean Territory till additional order."

The order states that the decide granted the injunction "upon consideration of the claimant's utility for interim aid made out of courtroom hours" and "upon studying the defendants' response".

Representatives of the Chagossian neighborhood are assembly with Overseas Workplace mininster Stephen Doughty, for discussions on the sovereignty of the territory.

The assembly was anticipated to incorporate six representatives from three completely different Chagossian neighborhood teams.

"The assembly shall be a possibility to debate the FCDO's Chagossian tasks and the brand new Chagossian contact group," an e-mail despatched to the representatives earlier this week stated, with out giving additional particulars.

<img sizes="(min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 1008px) 66vw, 96vw" srcset="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/240/cpsprodpb/fcb1/live/ee1c85b0-36e6-11f0-96c3-cf669419a2b0.png.webp 240w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/320/cpsprodpb/fcb1/live/ee1c85b0-36e6-11f0-96c3-cf669419a2b0.png.webp 320w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/fcb1/live/ee1c85b0-36e6-11f0-96c3-cf669419a2b0.png.webp 480w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/640/cpsprodpb/fcb1/live/ee1c85b0-36e6-11f0-96c3-cf669419a2b0.png.webp 640w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/800/cpsprodpb/fcb1/live/ee1c85b0-36e6-11f0-96c3-cf669419a2b0.png.webp 800w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/cpsprodpb/fcb1/live/ee1c85b0-36e6-11f0-96c3-cf669419a2b0.png.webp 1024w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1536/cpsprodpb/fcb1/live/ee1c85b0-36e6-11f0-96c3-cf669419a2b0.png.webp 1536w" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/fcb1/live/ee1c85b0-36e6-11f0-96c3-cf669419a2b0.png.webp" loading="lazy" alt="The image shows two maps. One map shows the distance of the Chagos Islands to the UK. The other map shows the Chagos Islands in relation to the coast of Africa, India and Southeast Asia. " class="sc-4abb68ca-0 ldLcJe"/> The Chagos Archipelago was separated from Mauritius in 1965, when Mauritius was nonetheless a British colony.

Britain bought the islands for £3m, however Mauritius has argued it was illegally pressured to present away the islands as a way to get independence from Britain.

Within the late Nineteen Sixties Britain invited the US to construct a army base on Diego Garcia and eliminated hundreds of individuals from their properties on the island.

An immigration order, issued in 1971, prevented the islanders from returning.

The Chagos islanders themselves – some in Mauritius and the Seychelles, however others dwelling in Crawley in Sussex – don't converse with one voice on the destiny of their homeland.

Some are decided to return to dwell on the remoted islands, some are extra centered on their rights and standing within the UK, whereas others argue that the archipelago's standing shouldn't be resolved by outsiders.

Mylene Augustin, a member of the Chagossian neighborhood within the UK, stated she hoped the deal wouldn't be signed in its present type, saying she felt excluded from the negotiations between the UK and Mauritius over the islands.

"Like Bernadette and Bertrice, my dad was born on Diego Garcia. That is my heritage," she stated. "[The court decision for interim relief] is nice. We have to have our self-determination… We have to have our rights."

<img sizes="(min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 1008px) 66vw, 96vw" srcset="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/240/cpsprodpb/699a/live/295173e0-36e5-11f0-b84e-417dbe11adb9.png.webp 240w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/320/cpsprodpb/699a/live/295173e0-36e5-11f0-b84e-417dbe11adb9.png.webp 320w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/699a/live/295173e0-36e5-11f0-b84e-417dbe11adb9.png.webp 480w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/640/cpsprodpb/699a/live/295173e0-36e5-11f0-b84e-417dbe11adb9.png.webp 640w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/800/cpsprodpb/699a/live/295173e0-36e5-11f0-b84e-417dbe11adb9.png.webp 800w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/cpsprodpb/699a/live/295173e0-36e5-11f0-b84e-417dbe11adb9.png.webp 1024w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1536/cpsprodpb/699a/live/295173e0-36e5-11f0-b84e-417dbe11adb9.png.webp 1536w" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/699a/live/295173e0-36e5-11f0-b84e-417dbe11adb9.png.webp" loading="lazy" alt="EPA A group of people standing outside the Houses of Parliament. One holds a sign that reads: "We demand to be part of the negotiation."" class="sc-4abb68ca-0 ldLcJe"/> EPA Chagossians dwelling within the UK gathered to protest outdoors Parliament final 12 months

In recent times, the UK has come underneath rising worldwide strain to return the islands to Mauritius, with each the United Nations' prime courtroom and normal meeting siding with Mauritius over sovereignty claims.

In late 2022, the earlier Conservative authorities started negotiations over management of the territory however didn't attain an settlement by the point it misplaced energy within the 2024 normal election.

Following the courtroom intervention, Conservative shadow international secretary Priti Patel stated: "Labour's Chagos give up deal is unhealthy for our defence and safety pursuits, unhealthy for British taxpayers and unhealthy for British Chagossians."

She stated the authorized intervention was a "humiliation for Keir Starmer and [Foreign Secretary] David Lammy".

Reform UK has beforehand been vital of the deal. In March, the celebration chief Nigel Farage stated the UK could be paying "eye-watering" sums to Mauritius and steered the islands must be handed to the US as an alternative.

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