Mauritius: UK hands back sovereignty over Chagos Islands

The United Kingdom has agreed to cede sovereignty over the Chagos Islands, a long-disputed archipelago of more than 60 islands in the Indian Ocean, to Mauritius in a bid to secure the future of a strategically important US-British military base on Diego Garcia.

In a statement released on Thursday, the British government said international partners, including the United States strongly supported the deal.

"Today's deal secures this vital military base for the future ," said British Foreign Secretary David Lammy.

"It will strengthen our role in safeguarding global security, eliminate any possibility of the Indian Ocean being used as a dangerous route for illegal immigration to the UK and secure our long-term relationship with Mauritius, a close Commonwealth partner ," he added.