Chagos: The Report Fails to Consider Recent Developments
Chagos: The report fails to take into account recent developments
Defi Quotidien
Fri, 19/12/2025 - 10:00
Gavin Glover, the Attorney General, defends Mauritius's position regarding the House of Lords report on the Chagos, emphasizing that the Chagossians are an integral part of the Mauritian people.
The Attorney General, Gavin Glover, responded on behalf of the Mauritian government to the report from the House of Lords' International Relations and Defence Committee, which highlights feelings of marginalization expressed by some members of the Chagossian community regarding the agreement between the UK and Mauritius concerning the Chagos archipelago. Published on Wednesday, the document is based on an online survey that received over 3,000 responses, showing that many Chagossians feel excluded from negotiations and demand direct participation in decisions that affect them.
In a statement released on Thursday, Gavin Glover noted that the government acknowledges the report and respects its process, which falls within the UK's internal parliamentary framework. He also recognized the seriousness with which the British committee sought to gather and amplify Chagossian concerns, in a file marked by decades of exile, claims, and historical suffering.
The report highlights a profound sense of historical injustice, directly linked to the forced displacement of Chagossians between 1967 and 1973, as well as a persistent distrust towards authorities, including Mauritian ones. According to the committee's findings, a majority of respondents believe that compensation mechanisms, governance, and decisions regarding the future of the archipelago should be entrusted directly to Chagossians, with clear representation and autonomous structures.
In light of these observations, the Attorney General reiterated a position he deems fundamental: Chagossians are an integral part of the Mauritian people, and the Chagos archipelago is an essential component of Mauritius's territory. This stance is based on the International Court of Justice's advisory opinion from February 25, 2019, which concluded that the UK's detachment of the archipelago before Mauritius's independence was contrary to international law. In this perspective, Gavin Glover asserts that full recognition of Mauritian sovereignty over the Chagos is a necessary step towards completing the decolonization process.
He also pointed out that the House of Lords report itself acknowledges that international law does not grant Chagossians an independent right to self-determination. According to the Attorney General, rectifying historical injustices therefore involves finalizing the decolonization of Mauritius.
However, the statement warns against an absolute interpretation of the report. Gavin Glover notes that the British committee recognizes its methodological limitations, clarifying that the survey does not claim to reflect all Chagossian opinions. He believes the chosen method tends to highlight the most critical voices regarding the agreement, while the majority of Chagossians living in Mauritius—many of whom are directly affected by the displacement—have expressed support for the role of the Mauritian state, often without this being equally highlighted. Practically, the Attorney General states that the government is working towards the gradual implementation of Mauritian sovereignty over the archipelago.
Progress has been made regarding defining eligibility criteria for resettlement, a sensitive and central issue for the Chagossian community that is still being finalized. Gavin Glover further emphasizes that the report does not take into account certain recent developments, notably the bill on the Trust Fund for the benefit of Chagossians, approved by the Cabinet on December 12. This text, he points out, addresses several concerns raised in the report, enshrining the principle that the Fund is intended for Chagossians and will be administered by Chagossians themselves. Finally, the Attorney General reminds that the upcoming agreement imposes legal obligations on Mauritius as a sovereign state, an aspect sometimes underestimated in public debate.
While acknowledging the expressed concerns, he asserts that they are not ignored and that the guarantees provided, along with the institutional mechanisms being prepared, will gradually help alleviate fears. The government, he concludes, remains committed to transparency, inclusion, and dialogue.
