After more than half a century of litigation, the United Kingdom announced on Thursday October 3 that it would recognize the sovereignty of Mauritius over the Chagos archipelago (held by London since 1814), in the Indian Ocean: a “historic” agreement which nevertheless allows London to keep its common military base with the United States on the main island of Diego Garcia.
The decision of Keir Starmer, new Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, relaunches the debate on the future sovereignty of other British territoriesoverseassuch as the Falklands (or Falklands Islands) in the South Atlantic, historically claimed by Argentina, or even Gibraltar, in the south of the Iberian Peninsula, which Spain would like to recover.
Labor’s decision to pursue the agreement with Mauritius has aroused the ire of the Conservatives, who see it as “a threat to fundamental British security interests, and those of key allies, notably the United States.” , thus castigates the Daily News. “The islands occupy a key strategic position in the middle of the Indian Ocean, a place of growing competition between Western nations, India and China,” recalls Sam Bidwell of Telegraph. “We fear that Mauritius will lease certain Chagos islands to China,” even slips The Times.
Possible dispute with Spain?
The conservatives now fear that a breach favorable to the cession of other overseas territories will open. “There is no doubt that the Spanish are rubbing their hands while waiting for Starmer to offer them a generous cash donation to thank them for having taken Gibraltar from us,” criticizes the editorialist of the Telegraph. Under British sovereignty for more than 300 years since the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713, by which Spain ceded Gibraltar to Great Britain in perpetuity, the enclave is nevertheless still claimed by Madrid.
The Rock’s 2006 constitution states that there can be no transfer of sovereignty to Spain against the will of its voters. However, during a referendum in 2002, the inhabitants of Gibraltar overwhelmingly rejected the idea of joint sovereignty between the United Kingdom and Spain. But the status of the enclave still remains unclear after Brexit in 2020, since Gibraltar was also a member of the European Union. Since then, negotiations have been underway between the United Kingdom, Gibraltar, Spain and the EU to resolve the practical aspects, particularly in terms of the movement of people and trade.
Fear of geopolitical isolation
Don’t touch the Falklands either, this British overseas territory conquered in 1833, and located in the South Atlantic, approximately 500 km from the Argentine coast. The United Kingdom and Argentina still claim sovereignty over the archipelago, although Argentine President Javier Milei recently said the issue was solely “in the hands of the British.”
The Conservatives have absolutely no intention of looking into the issue. “The Falkland Islands are British. There is no debate. Period,” insisted a Tory official in a statement during the week.
The controversy is in reality a reflection of the United Kingdom’s fear of finding itself isolated, at a time of increasing geopolitical tensions. “We no longer live in the relative stability of the 1990s. We will not survive in choppy geopolitical waters if we are not able to pursue our own interests, says The Daily News. “The political class would do well to remember that the goal of foreign policy is to make our country safer, richer and more influential – not to impress judges, journalists and NGOs,” scathes the conservative daily The Telegraph.