US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and his British counterpart David Cameron discussed on December 7 the two countries' air base on Diego Garcia island in the Indian Ocean.
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| Diego Garcia, the largest island in the Chagos archipelago, was used by the US to build a military base after leasing it from Britain in 1966. (Source: Reuters) |
Speaking at a press conference during the British Foreign Secretary's visit to the US, Mr. Blinken emphasized that this base plays an important role for the US in the Indo-Pacific and for global security.
He affirmed that the US recognized the sovereignty of the UK over the British Indian Ocean Territory. But this was a bilateral issue between the UK and Mauritius, so Washington supported both sides participating in resolving the disagreement.
The air base is located in the British Indian Ocean Territory in the Chagos Archipelago. In 1965, Britain, which had controlled the area since 1814, separated the Chagos archipelago from Mauritius to form the British Indian Ocean Territory.
In 1966, Britain leased Diego Garcia, the largest island in the Chagos archipelago, to the United States, paving the way for the construction of an air base and forcing the resettlement of about 2,000 people.
Diego Garcia became a key US base during the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, serving as a launch pad for long-range bombers. In 2008, after years of denial, Britain officially admitted that the US used Diego Garcia for "extradition" flights of terrorist suspects.
In 2016, Britain extended its lease of Diego Garcia to the United States until 2036, and some British politicians now want to retain control of the islands for longer. In 2019, the African Union (AU) called on Britain to withdraw from the Chagos Archipelago, end “continued colonial administration” and return the islands to Mauritius.
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