Chagos Islands on the Indian Ocean now bone of contention between Mauritius and the United States
The United States and Mauritius are preparing for three-day consultations regarding the military use of the more than 60 Chagos Islands on the Indian Ocean.
During the joint meeting to be held in Port Louis from the 23rd to the 25th of February 2026, the United States and Mauritius will carry on discussions regarding the Chagos archipelago.
The discussions will be led by the Department of State’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, with participation from across the U.S. interagency.
According to an official release from the Department of State, these discussions underscore the continued importance of the Chagos archipelago and the joint United States-United Kingdom base on Diego Garcia to what is being described as U.S national security.
The discussions in Port Louis are focusing on bilateral security cooperation.
Delegates will also address effective implementation of security arrangements for the base to ensure its long-term, secure operation.
The United States supports the decision of the United Kingdom to proceed with its agreement with Mauritius concerning the Chagos archipelago.
As it happens, Washington reiterates its desire to conclude a bilateral agreement with the United Kingdom to guarantee continued use of basing and other facilities in the Chagos archipelago.
The move is meant to advance the United States national defense, as well as security and stability across the Indian Ocean.
The Chagos Archipelago also known as the Chagos is a group of seven atolls comprising more than 60 islands in the Indian Ocean.
Formerly known as Bassas de Chagas and later the Oil Islands, the archipelago is located about 500 kilometres south of the Maldives archipelago.
This chain of islands is the southernmost archipelago of the Chagos–Laccadive Ridge and a long submarine mountain range in the Indian Ocean.
The Chagos Islands used to be the homeland of the Chagossians people, the Bourbonnais Creole–speaking community.
However, between 1967 and 1973 the United Kingdom expelled the natives from the archipelago at the request of the United States.
The eviction of locals from Chagos Islands was to allow the United States establish the U.S Naval Support Facility Diego Garcia, which operates under a special agreement allowing significant American military presence.
The main forcible removal of Diego Garcia’s population took place in July and September 1971.
Since 1971 only the atoll of Diego Garcia has been inhabited, and only by employees of the military, including civilian contracted personnel.
Since being thrown out, the Chagossians have been restricted from re-entering the islands.
But in 2026, four Chagossians linked to the self-declared Chagossian Government returned to Île du Coin on Peros Banhos to reestablish the settlement there, without seeking permission.
Mauritius has been engaged in a series of sovereignty disputes with the United Kingdom.
The government in Port Louis was claiming that the Chagos Archipelago is part of Mauritius.
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) in 2019 and the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (in 2021) both stated that the United Kingdom had an obligation to return the islands to Mauritius.
In October 2024, the British government announced it would transfer the Chagos Islands to Mauritius subject to finalization of a treaty.
The transfer agreement was signed on 22 May 2025, with the provision that the island of Diego Garcia would be leased back to the United Kingdom for at least 99 years
The Chagos Islands contain the world’s largest coral atoll.
This is the Great Chagos Bank, which supports half the total area of good quality reefs in the Indian Ocean.
As a result, the ecosystems of the Chagos have so far proven resilient to climate change and environmental disruptions.