Chagos Islands: ‘Emotional moment’ as Mauritian flag raised on disputed British territory | World News

The Mauritian flag has been raised for the primary time on the Chagos Islands, that are managed by Britain however claimed by Mauritius.

The flag was raised in a ceremony on Monday accompanied by the singing of Mauritius’s nationwide anthem, in accordance with The Guardian.

Jagdish Koonjul, the Mauritian ambassador to the UN, was quoted within the newspaper as saying: “We’re performing the symbolic act of elevating the flag, because the British have accomplished so many occasions to ascertain colonies.

“We’re, nonetheless, reclaiming what has all the time been our personal.”

The ceremony was led by Mr Koonjul on the atoll of Peros Banhos, with a pre-recorded message from Mauritian Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth.

In line with the BBC, Mr Jugnauth stated the flag-raising was “a really emotional second and a really historic time for us, as a result of we’re capable of rule in our personal territory”.

A flag was additionally raised on the atoll of Salomon.

Mr Jugnauth stated that, if the flags had been eliminated, it might be thought of a British provocation.

The islands had been separated from Mauritius by the UK in 1965 and leased to the US so it might arrange the Diego Garcia navy base.

This resulted in some 2,000 island residents being evicted, with most ending up in Mauritius and the Seychelles.

In 2019, the Worldwide Court docket of Justice in The Hague dominated that the UK ought to give the islands again to Mauritius, a decision that was additionally adopted by the UN Basic Meeting.

However the UK has ignored the non-binding rulings.

It has claimed that the realm – which it calls a British Indian Ocean Territory – is significant to its strategic pursuits and has been below its sovereignty since 1814.

Final week a delegation from Mauritius set sail for the Chagos Islands for an ecological go to which additionally served as a method of urgent the nation’s declare for the 58-island archipelago.

On the time, Mr Jugnauth stated the expedition was a “scientific research” of a partly-submerged reef however was additionally a “concrete step” in the direction of Mauritius “exercising its sovereignty”.