[By Guancha Observer Network, Shao Yun]

According to reports by The Guardian of the UK and Reuters on May 22, a judge of the High Court of the UK approved an injunction at the "last minute" on the early morning of that day, temporarily prohibiting the UK and Mauritius from signing an agreement to transfer the Chagos Islands. However, several hours later in the hearing, another judge overturned the injunction, clearing the way for the signing of the agreement.

The report stated that Martin Chamberlain, a judge of the UK High Court, ruled to lift the injunction during the hearing in the morning of May 22, saying that obstructing the agreement would cause serious damage to public interest and the interests of the UK.

A spokesperson for the UK government welcomed this ruling, stating that the agreement was "crucial to protecting the security of the British people and the nation." In the testimony submitted to the High Court, the UK Foreign Office claimed that delaying the signing of the agreement would "damage the UK's reputation in Mauritius and the United States," and "threaten hard-won defense and security conditions," which were "critical" for the operational effectiveness of the military base on the island.

In the evening of May 22, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer officially announced that the UK would sign the sovereignty transfer agreement for the Chagos Islands with the government of Mauritius. US Secretary of State Rubio subsequently issued a statement expressing appreciation for this "historic" agreement, praising the leadership, vision, and commitment of the UK and Mauritius in ensuring the full operation of the US-UK joint base in the Chagos Islands during its term.

"We look forward to closely cooperating with both governments to strengthen cooperation and jointly maintain regional peace and stability," Rubio said.

Diego Garcia, the largest island of the Chagos Islands, Associated Press

The Chagos Islands are the last overseas territory of the UK in Africa. The US leases this area and built its only military base in the Indian Ocean here. Last October, after years of negotiation, the UK and Mauritius released a joint statement announcing that they had reached a historic agreement on the sovereignty issue of the Chagos Islands.

Earlier, two Chagos expatriates who have now obtained UK citizenship filed a lawsuit against the UK government regarding the transfer agreement, believing that this agreement excluded the opinions of the islanders.

In response, Julian Goose, a judge of the UK High Court, issued a temporary injunction against the UK Foreign Office at 2:25 AM on May 22, requiring it to "not take any final or legally binding measures to end its negotiations on transferring the British Indian Ocean Territory (also known as the Chagos Islands) to a foreign government, nor make any binding specific terms for such a transfer."

The lawyer for the plaintiff, Philip Rule, stated that the plaintiffs originally intended to file a broader legal challenge earlier to prevent the UK government from signing the agreement, but the process was delayed due to "issues with legal aid." The direct reason for applying for the injunction was that media reports indicated that the agreement was about to be signed.

On May 21, The Daily Telegraph of the UK reported that Starmer was expected to participate in an "online signing ceremony" with representatives of the Mauritian government on the morning of May 22, the last day before the recent recess of the UK Parliament, to formally sign the agreement for the transfer of the Chagos Islands, followed by a briefing to the lower house of the UK Parliament on this matter.

According to the agreement, the UK will transfer control of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, but will retain the right to use the largest island, Diego Garcia, as a joint military base for the UK and the US, with an initial term of 99 years. In return, the UK will provide Mauritius with an "annual rent," reportedly as high as approximately £90 million per year.

Previously, the signing of the agreement has been postponed several times. In October 2023, after the UK and then Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth of Mauritius reached a negotiation agreement, plans were announced to transfer control of the Chagos Islands. However, after Jugnauth was replaced by current Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam in the election, the latter expressed concerns about the agreement, stating that it did not bring the expected benefits to Mauritius. In January this year, after Trump was elected President of the United States, he also spent time reviewing the details of the agreement again.

For the US, the Chagos Islands hold significant interests.

In 1965, as a condition for independence, Mauritius was forced to separate the Chagos Islands from its territory to become the "British Indian Ocean Territory." In 1966, the UK government leased Diego Garcia Island to the US, allowing them to build an airbase there, and forcibly displaced thousands of islanders. Declassified documents show that as a return, the UK received a $14 million discount when purchasing US "Polaris" missiles.

The Chagos Islands are strategically important. They guard key sea and air chokepoints in the Indian Ocean, being the inevitable passage for numerous international routes between Asia, Europe, Africa, and Oceania. They are located 4,600 kilometers from the Strait of Hormuz and 2,000 kilometers from the Strait of Malacca. Media described the islands as a "stake" embedded by the UK and the US into East Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Arab world. According to a BBC journalist's field visit last September, although Diego Garcia Island is managed by the UK government, most personnel and resources on the island are actually controlled by the US.

This article is an exclusive contribution by the Observer Network and cannot be reprinted without permission.

Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7507439573446689289/

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