
David Snoxell: A simple solution for resolving the Chagos dispute is to give Mauritius responsibility
Why MPs have written to Joe Biden to seek his support in pressuring the Government to give up this far-flung outpost.
David Snoxell is Co-ordinator of the Chagos Islands (BIOT) All-Party Parliamentary Group.
Why MPs have written to Joe Biden to seek his support in pressuring the Government to give up this far-flung outpost.
It would be irrational for any government that believes in the peaceful settlement of disputes not to negotiate a settlement.
A new Prime Minister, and a changing of the guard at the Foreign Office, is a chance to change tack on the British Indian Ocean Territory.
The Government’s long rearguard defence of the British Indian Ocean Territory has reached a higher theatre than I ever expected.
The British Indian Ocean Territory is clearly a reminder to too many member nations of our lingering colonial legacy.
The decision not to allow resettlement of the Chagos Islands is a travesty. But a means of finding a way forward is to hand.
With compromise and diplomacy a political settlement involving the US and Mauritius could be agreed in time.
Britain should dispose of this albatross, and right long-standing wrongs.
After almost 50 years, a new report paves the way for the return of the Chagos islanders to the British Indian Ocean Territory.
A decade of legal wrangling over the Chagos Islands could be brought to a close – if the Government gets a move on, that is.
Chagossians can now, after 45 years, be a little optimistic about their future. But will enough progress be made by the time the next election takes place?