The UN called on the UK to return the Chagos Archipelago to Mauritius
The resolution adopted by a majority vote implies that the UK will soon transfer control of the Chagos Islands group, which is an integral part of Mauritius. The document states that the separation of the archipelago from the island of Mauritius occurred without the "free and genuine will of the people."
116 countries voted for the document, including Russia, six were against, including the United States.
The proposal to withdraw the colonial administration from the archipelago within six months and return it to Mauritius provoked a negative reaction from the United Kingdom Permanent Representative to the UN Karen Pearce. The British representative said that she was disappointed with the results of the voting and explained that "this is a matter of bilateral relations, and it does not need to be submitted for international discussion."
Mauritius was a British colony with 1814 and gained independence in 1968. However, in the 1965 year, London separated the Chagos Archipelago from Mauritius, thereby leaving it under its control. In 1966, Britain transferred the largest island to the United States, deported all residents from there. The United States built its airbase on the island and in 2016 year they extended the island's lease agreement to London for another 20 years.
Requirements of former residents of the island to return them to the land in the UK ignored, saying that the expelled islanders will never receive permission to return "to British territories."
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