Article

2019-02-26 International-UN-NGOs

World Court Says U.K. Should Cede Control Of Islands Surrounding Diego Garcia

Hat Tip: gCaptain.
The International Court of Justice said the U.K. should hand back to Mauritius control of an Indian Ocean archipelago where a key U.S. naval base is located.

"The U.K.'s continued administration of the Chagos archipelago "is an unlawful act of a continuing character," court President Abdulqawi Ahmed Yusuf said in The Hague. "Accordingly the U.K. is under an obligation to bring an end to its administration of the Chagos archipelago as rapidly as possible," Yusuf said.

The United Nations in 2017 sought an advisory opinion from the ICJ, its principal judicial organ, on the legal status of the archipelago.

Chagos is part of the British Indian Ocean Territory, which has been administered by the U.K. since 1965, when it paid the then self-governing colony of Mauritius 3 million pounds ($3.9 million) for control of the islands. Between 1967 and 1973, hundreds of inhabitants were removed to make way for the Diego Garcia U.S. military base, which has been used to launch bomber jets for wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Mauritian Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth in August obtained the backing of the African Union and about 30 other countries in his bid to have control of the archipelago returned to Mauritius. The request to the ICJ excludes Diego Garcia, he said.
So the question is: will giving back the other islands present a security threat to facilities on Diego Garcia?

Posted by Alaska Paul 2019-02-26 12:55|| || Front Page|| [27 views ] Top

#1 International Court of Justice.

Already skeptical.

Posted by swksvolFF 2019-02-26 13:15|| 2019-02-26 13:15|| Front Page Top

#2 Distance from Diego Garcia to Mauritius - Port Louis? 2148 km, 1334 miles. The other Chagos islands are even further away.

Try annexing Africa instead. It's closer.

Posted by Eohippus Graick2440 2019-02-26 13:45|| 2019-02-26 13:45|| Front Page Top

#3 which has been administered by the U.K. since 1965, when it paid the then self-governing colony of Mauritius 3 million pounds ($3.9 million) for control of the islands

"Sod off, Swampy"

Posted by Frank G 2019-02-26 15:23|| 2019-02-26 15:23|| Front Page Top

#4 there is no real build up there, is there?

Posted by newc 2019-02-26 15:54|| 2019-02-26 15:54|| Front Page Top

#5 Prime Minister Juggernaut!

Posted by Grunter 2019-02-26 16:17|| 2019-02-26 16:17|| Front Page Top

#6 Another bit of payback for BREXIT? These things had a habit of being ignored when the EU, and it's pet Lawfare units, had something that they wanted.

Posted by magpie 2019-02-26 17:59|| 2019-02-26 17:59|| Front Page Top

#7 The keyword here is "should", not "must"!

So UK don't have to do anything as it appear this is not a binding ruling, just wishful thinking on the part of the court.

Posted by Seeking Cure For Ignorance 2019-02-26 18:53|| 2019-02-26 18:53|| Front Page Top

#8 The UK should tell the honorable World Court to have a Coke and a smile....

Posted by York Harding 2019-02-26 19:43|| 2019-02-26 19:43|| Front Page Top

#9 If one goes along with the World Court, one implicitly recognizes it, then the next thing one will be told to leave Diego Garcia. Best to tell the World Court to pound sand, despite the issue.

Posted by Alaska Paul 2019-02-26 20:11|| 2019-02-26 20:11|| Front Page Top

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