Chagos Sovereignty Negotiations
On 3rd November 2022, UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly announced, “negotiations on the exercise of sovereignty over the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT)/Chagos Archipelago.” The talks will take place in late 2022/January 2023, arriving at an agreement “early next year.” 2023. The full announcement can be read here:
https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2022-11-03/hcws354
Where does Chagossian Voices stand?
Chagossian Voices, along with other Chagossian community groups, is insisting on full participation in the talks about the future of the islands. Chagossians are an indigenous people with rights of self-determination and, as with all Citizens of British Overseas Territories, must be allowed to determine the future of their homeland. We have written to the Foreign Secretary and the FCDO insisting on full participation in the talks and a clarification as to how Chagossians will be involved. We also communicated our concerns to Henry Smith, MP for Crawley, who followed through by asking a question about Chagossian involvement to the Foreign Secretary in Parliament on 14th November 2023.
His reply can be seen here:
Chagossian Voices Letter to the Foreign Secretary
Here is the text of our letter to the Foreign Secretary, sent on the 11th November 2022
The Right Honourable James Cleverly, Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs