Pope Leo XIV claims that the Chagos Islands of the United Kingdom deal with the “important victory”

Pope Leo XIV said he was “delighted” that the United Kingdom agreed to hand over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius.

Addressing a delegation of 15 refugees from Chagos, Pope Leo declared that this decision represented a “significant victory” in their long battle to “repair a serious injustice”.

Under the terms of a treaty signed in May, Maurice will win the sovereignty of the United Kingdom islands, but will allow the United States and the United Kingdom to continue to exploit a military base on one of the islands, Diego Garcia, for an initial period of 99 years.

The Pope said he hoped that the Mauritian authorities would ensure that refugees are able to return home. British opposition leaders – and some Chagossians now reside in the United Kingdom – criticized the agreement.

Speaking in French, Pope Leo said: “The renewed perspective of your return to your native archipelago is an encouraging sign and a powerful symbol on the international scene.”

He added that everyone “should be respected by the powerful in their identity and their rights, in particular the right to live on their land; and no one can force them to exile”.

The United Kingdom bought the islands for 3 million pounds sterling in 1968, but Maurice argued that it was illegally forced to give the islands in order to obtain the independence of Great Britain.

The islands were then allowed to make way for a base of the United Kingdom’s armed forces with large groups of Chagossians moving to Mauritius and Seychelles, or to take an invitation to settle in England, mainly in Crawley, in western Sussex.

In May, the government said it would pay Mauritius on average 101 million pounds sterling per year for 99 years under the terms of the agreement.

The agreement establishes a 24-mile stamp around Diego Garcia, where nothing can be built without consent in the United Kingdom.

Foreign military and civil forces will also be prohibited from other islands in the archipelago, the United Kingdom retaining veto for access to the islands.

The treaty will only come into force after its approved by British and Mauritian parliaments.

When the agreement was concluded, the conservatives described it as “an act of national self-manage”, which left the United Kingdom “more exposed to China” because of its links with Mauritius.

The Prime Minister insisted that the agreement was imperative to maintain national security in the United Kingdom.

“If we do not agree that the agreement, the legal situation would mean that we would not be able to prevent China or any other nation which installs their own bases on the external islands or performing joint exercises near our base,” said Sir Keir Starmer.

“No responsible government could let it happen.”

The agreement was greeted by the Mauritian prosecutor General Gavin Glover who declared to the BBC in May: “Our country is delighted that this 60 -year struggle is finally over.”

However, two women born in Diego Garcia who wanted to be able to return there had raised a last minute legal challenge to the agreement in May.

The high court then rejected the dispute.