Disputed British Islands of the Indian Ocean: Diego Garcia and the Chagos Archipelago

In recent months, relations between the United Kingdom and the Republic of Mauritius have been strained. The dispute is not new as it concerns the Chagos Archipelago, severed from Mauritius by the British shortly before independence (1968), to be put at the disposal of the American army that made of Diego Garcia Island their main base in the Indian Ocean. Ever since, Mauritius has demanded the archipelago to be returned, a claim the British authorities have consistently denied, despite being condemned by many international and even London bodies. Through the years, the noose has tightened, but the United Kingdom strives to save time by all kinds of subterfuges.