The archipelago was acquired in the 1960s and a US military base established by displacing the indigenous population to ensure western influence in the region.

The bitter wrangle with the UK has come to an end, but the devil will be in the treaty’s details. Mauritius and the United Kingdom (UK) have reached an agreement on the Chagos Islands – the beginning of the end of a decades-long tussle between them.

After decades of legal battles, Britain has agreed to return the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, a former colony. The remote Indian Ocean archipelago will continue to host a US military base, but Chagossians exiled to make way for the base in the 1960s and 70s are questioning whether the deal can truly rectify past wrongs.