Chagossians exiled to the UK say they are opposed to the Government's sovereignty deal
Bernadette Dugasse, left, and Jean-Francois Nellan, right, have criticised Labour’s deal to hand sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to MauritiusChagossians say they were blindsided by Thursday’s announcement that the Government would relinquish sovereignty of the islands, with the news broken to them by journalists.
One of them, Jean-Francois Nellan, 40, who lives in Derby, was born in Mauritius, but his grandparents were evicted from the Chagos Islands.“They have made a deal with Mauritius without the democratic consent of Chagossian communities.” A joint statement from the UK and Mauritius governments said the treaty will “address wrongs of the past and demonstrate the commitment of both parties to support the welfare of Chagossians”.
He added that he blamed both Labour and the Conservatives for the decision, with the Tories announcing in 2022 it would open sovereignty negotiations with Mauritius. Others have welcomed the move, however, with Olivier Bancoult, leader of the Mauritius-based Chagos Refugees Group, saying it marked a decisive turning point and an official recognition of the injustices suffered by the Chagossians.
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