PORT LOUIS, Mauritius: The prime minister of Mauritius announced on Monday a “historic visit” by a research vessel to the disputed Chagos Islands, an archipelago it claims in full but which is administered by Britain.
Pravind Jugnauth told reporters that a scientific vessel would set out on Tuesday to the remote islands in the Indian Ocean.
Among those on board will be Chagos islanders forcibly evicted by Britain in the 1960s and 70s to make way for a military base there.
It will be the first time Mauritius has led an expedition to the long-contested islands without requesting permission from the United Kingdom or the United States, the prime minister added.
It follows a 2019 International Court of Justice ruling that backed the claim by Mauritius and said Britain should give up control of the islands.
“It is with great pride that I announce that Mauritius will undertake a trip to the Mauritian territory of the Chagos Archipelago, and in particular to Blenheim Reef, for a scientific study,” said Jugnauth.
“This will be a historic visit because it is the first time since Mauritius gained independence on March 12, 1968 that the Mauritian State... is organizing a trip to this part of its territory in the middle of the Indian Ocean without having to seek permission from anyone.”
The Chagos Islands have been at the center of a decades-long dispute over Britain’s decision to separate them from Mauritius in 1965 and set up a joint military base with the US on Diego Garcia, the largest of the isles.
Both London and Washington had been informed as a courtesy that the mission would be conducting research in the area, but would avoid Diego Garcia, said Jugnauth.
The expedition would leave from the Indian Ocean island nation of Seychelles, he added.
The Mauritian permanent representative to the United Nations would be aboard, along with scientists and the Chagos islanders, he added.
Mauritius has fought since 1975 to return the archipelago to its territory and in 2019, the International Court of Justice ruled that Britain should give up control of the islands.
Later that year, the UN General Assembly overwhelmingly voted in favor of a resolution recognizing that “the Chagos Archipelago forms an integral part of the territory of Mauritius” and recommending Britain withdraw within six months.
Britain, some 9,500 kilometers (5,900 miles) to the west from Chagos, insists the islands belong to London and has refused to leave.
It has renewed a lease agreement with the United States to use Diego Garcia until 2036.
Diego Garcia played a strategic role during the Cold War, and then as an air base, including during the war in Afghanistan.
Mauritius has described their continued presence as “an illegal administration.”
Mauritius to lead ‘historic’ expedition to contested Chagos Islands
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Mauritius to lead ‘historic’ expedition to contested Chagos Islands
- The Chagos Islands have been at the center of a decades-long dispute over Britain’s decision to separate them from Mauritius in 1965 and set up a joint military base with the US on Diego Garcia
- Mauritius has fought since 1975 to return the archipelago to its territory and in 2019, the International Court of Justice ruled that Britain should give up control of the islands
Indonesia reaffirms Yemen’s territorial integrity, backs stability efforts amid tensions
- Statement comes after Saudi Arabia bombed a UAE weapons shipment at Yemeni port city
- Jakarta last week said it ‘appreciates’ Riyadh ‘working together’ with Yemen to restore stability
JAKARTA: Indonesia has called for respect for Yemen’s territorial integrity and commended efforts to maintain stability in the region, a day after Saudi Arabia bombed a weapons shipment from the UAE at a Yemeni port city that Riyadh said was intended for separatist forces.
Saudi Arabia carried out a “limited airstrike” at Yemen’s port city of Al-Mukalla in the southern province of Hadramout on Tuesday, following the arrival of an Emirati shipment that came amid heightened tensions linked to advances by the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council in the war-torn country.
In a statement issued late on Wednesday, the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it “appreciates further efforts by concerned parties to maintain stability and security,” particularly in the provinces of Hadramout and Al-Mahara.
“Indonesia reaffirms the importance of peaceful settlement through an inclusive and comprehensive political dialogue under the coordination of the United Nations and respecting Yemen’s legitimate government and territorial integrity,” Indonesia’s foreign affairs ministry said.
The latest statement comes after Jakarta said last week that it “appreciates the efforts of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, as well as other relevant countries, working together with Yemeni stakeholders to de-escalate tensions and restore stability.”
Saudi Arabia leads the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen, which includes the UAE and was established in 2015 to combat the Houthi rebels, who control most of northern Yemen.
Riyadh has been calling on the STC, which initially supported Yemen’s internationally recognized government against the Houthi rebels, to withdraw after it launched an offensive against the Saudi-backed government troops last month, seeking an independent state in the south.
Indonesia has also urged for “all parties to exercise restraint and avoid unilateral action that could impact security conditions,” and has previously said that the rising tensions in Yemen could “further deteriorate the security situation and exacerbate the suffering” of the Yemeni people.
Indonesia, the world’s biggest Muslim-majority country, maintains close ties with both Saudi Arabia and the UAE, which are its main trade and investment partners in the Middle East.
