What are the implications for India following Thursday’s agreement which will see the return of the Chagos islands to Mauritius after nearly six decades of Britain’s colonial rule?
The Chagos islands lie north of Mauritius, nearly 3000-km distance. From Thiruvananthapuram it is a little over 1,700-km. Its location straddles the Indian Ocean-sea lines of communication through which billions of dollars of trade transit every year.
In a word, it’s a great observation post to monitor this traffic, which India is crucially dependent on.
Add another crucial: what happens to the military base operated by the US and UK on the island of Diego Garcia, the biggest island in the Chagos archipelago.
It will continue to be operated for the next 99 years by the two powers with no change other than acknowledging Mauritius’ sovereignty.
This is important, sources telling Stratnewsglobal that the door could now be open “For India to utilise the operational facilities on the island of Diego Garcia if invited to do so by the UK and the US.”
There’s more. Given their strong ties, Mauritius may “seek assistance from India in surveillance of its Exclusive Economic Zone around Chagos,” the sources indicated, pointing to another problem.
“Illegal unauthorised and unreported Chinese fishing is a problem in the region. China’s intrusive maritime activities in the waters around Chagos may increase.”
Mauritius may need capacity building assistance to build up its ability to undertake maritime and aeronautical search and rescue in the areas around Chagos.
“The Marine Protected Area around Chagos makes it difficult for the enclosed waters to be exploited for deep water fishing and trawling,” the sources said. “However, Mauritius can benefit economically by harnessing the potential of tourism, artisanal fisheries, and other oceanic activities. Indian companies could benefit from their participation in such projects.”
Stratnewsglobal learns from sources that “The final outcome is a win for all sides involved and will reinforce long-term security in the Indian Ocean region.”
India has played a quiet but key role in the realisation of the agreement between the UK and Mauritius. While it backed “the principled Mauritian position supporting its stance on the need to do away with the last vestiges of decolonisation … it encouraged both sides to negotiate with an open mind.”
The last line of the agreement is telling, acknowledging the support and assistance of India (and the US) in helping finalise the agreement.
