Sovereignty of Chagos Archipelago is with Mauritius: India

The Hague : India on Wednesday told the International Court of Justice (ICJ) that historical facts and legal aspects confirm that sovereignty of the Chagos Archipelago has been and continues to be with Mauritius.

A release by the Indian Embassy in the Netherlands said India's position was conveyed in oral proceedings before the ICJ on a request for an advisory opinion by the UN General Assembly in the matter concerning "The Legal Consequences of the Separation of the Chagos Archipelago from Mauritius in 1965."

India's Ambassador Venu Rajamony said the historical survey of facts concerning colonisation and the process of decolonisation indicates that the Chagos Archipelago throughout the pre- and post-colonial era had been part of the Mauritian territory.

"These islands came under the colonial administration of the UK as part of Mauritian territory. The understanding reached in November 1965 between Mauritius and the UK for the retention of Chagos by the UK for defence purposes and return to Mauritius when no longer needed for defence purposes is also in itself evidence that Mauritius has been and continues to be the sovereign nation for the Chagos Archipelago," the release said.