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The 20th Century m'zuŋ u Scramble for Independent Africa

"Veni, Vidi, Vici ",Steti - ego adduxit inimici mei"

They never left

The Chagos Islands
“ The Chagos Archipelago or Chagos Islands (formerly the Bassas de Chagas, and later

the Oil Islands) are a group of seven atolls comprising more than 60 individual tropical
islands in the Indian Ocean about 500 kilometres (310 mi) south of the Maldives

archipelago. This chain of islands is the southernmost archipelago of the Chagos-
Laccadive Ridge, a long submarine mountain range in the Indian Ocean.

The Chagos was home to the Chagossians, a Bourbonnais Creole-speaking people, for

more than a century and a half until the United Kingdom evicted them between 1967 and
1973 to allow the United States to build a military base on Diego Garcia, the largest of the
Chagos Islands. Since 1971, only the atoll of Diego Garcia is inhabited, and only by

military and civilian contracted personnel. Since being expelled, Chagossian natives have
been prevented from returning to the islands.”

"Chagos Archipelago" 128
Wikipedia
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“ Sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago is disputed between Mauritius and the United
Kingdom. Mauritius has repeatedly asserted that the Chagos Archipelago is part of its

territory and that the United Kingdom (UK) claim is a violation of United Nations
resolutions banning the dismemberment of colonial territories before independence. The
UK government has stated that it has no doubt about its sovereignty over the Chagos,

and has also said that the Chagos will be given to Mauritius once the islands are no
longer required for defence purposes.

***
The African Union and the Non-Aligned Movement have expressed unanimous support

for Mauritius on the Chagos issu

***
In 1965, the United Kingdom split the Chagos Archipelago away from Mauritius, and the
islands of Aldabra, Farquhar, and Desroches from the Seychelles, to form the British

Indian Ocean Territory. The islands were formally established as an overseas territory of
the United Kingdom on 8 November 1965. However, with effect from 23 June 1976
Aldabra, Farquhar, and Desroches were returned to the Seychelles on their attaining

independence.