Chagossian campaigners have blasted the Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer for “ignoring” their right to self-determination, and demanded the deal to surrender the Chagos Islands to Mauritius is scrapped.
Speaking at a packed Call to Action rally this evening in Hackney – organised by the Friends of British Overseas Territories – campaigners and activists gathered to slam Starmer’s Government for “silencing” Chagossians in making that deal last month.
Speaking to GB News, Chagossian Voices activist Maxwell Evenor blasted successive British Governments.
He said: “It’s very evident that the Government hasn’t been listening.
Starmer accused of ‘ignoring’ Chagossians over Mauritius deal as Farage ‘has Trump’s ear’ over scrapping plan
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Chagossian protesters gathered to criticise the Prime Minister’s deal
GB NEWS
“The Government has showed shown signs over the years that they are not even willing to talk to the Chagossians, to communicate with the Chagossians and on the issues of sovereignty, they have to consult the Chagossians.
“It’s a must. It’s not an ask, it’s not an opinion, it’s international law.”
The group was joined by several external speakers including Reform UK Chairman Zia Yusuf, who said the election of Donald Trump to the US presidency means their campaign will reach the White House after January 20.
Yusuf also claimed that Reform UK leader Nigel Farage will “have the ear” of President Trump to help spread their message.
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Angry activists gathered in Hackney
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Farage is reportedly urging Trump to intervene over the UK’s controversial surrender of the Chagos Islands ahead of the 45th President’s return to the White House in January.
Speaking last week, Farage said: “I have spoken to people very closely associated with him about the Chagos situation and about the worry that the Mauritian Government is moving further to the left.”
Mike Waltz, who was appointed as Trump’s incoming National Security Advisor, previously voiced concern about the Chagos Islands being handed to Mauritius.
He said: “Should the U.K. cede control of the Chagos to Mauritius, I have no doubt that China will take advantage of the resulting vacuum.”
Many gathered to express their concerns about the deal with Mauritius
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Starmer oversaw the UK giving up sovereignty of the remote but strategically important cluster of Islands in the Indian Ocean last month.
The deal, which comes after years of negotiations, includes the tropical atoll of Diego Garcia.
However, a US-UK military base will remain on Diego Garcia – a key factor enabling the deal to go forward
Defending the deal last month, Starmer said: “The single most important thing was ensuring that we had a secure base, the joint US-UK base; hugely important to the US, hugely important to us.
“We’ve now secured that and that is why you saw such warm words from the US yesterday.”
However, former Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned the deal is a “bad idea in hard geopolitical terms”, adding: “It’s crazy. I urge viewers of GB News to get out your maps, get out your atlases. Check out the Chagos islands, see where they are and see where Mauritius is. It’s a long way away.”
