UK 'remains committed' to Falklands islanders' sovereignty following Chagos deal

The governor of the Falkland Islands has sought to reassure her citizens over the territory's sovereignty following the UK's deal with Mauritius over the Chagos Islands.

Alison Blake, the governor of the Falkland Islands, issued a statement on X in which she said the UK government's commitment to the islanders' UK sovereignty was "unwavering" and "remains undiminished".

The statement came shortly after the UK agreed to hand over sovereignty of the remote Chagos Islands to Mauritius following a decades-long dispute.

The deal to transfer the Indian Ocean archipelago to Mauritius includes the tropical atoll of Diego Garcia, home to a military base used by the UK and the US that plays a crucial role in the region's stability and international security.

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Under the agreement, the base will remain under UK and US jurisdiction for at least the next 99 years.

In the wake of the deal - which has been heavily criticised by leading Conservatives over fears it could grant China a foothold in the Indian Ocean - the Falklands governor said she was "aware that there may be concerns, either among the Falkland Islands community of others, of potential read across to the Falkland Islands".

In a message to residents, she wrote: "I would like to reassure you that the legal and historical contexts of the Chagos Archipelago and the Falkland Islands are very different.

"UK ministers have been very clear throughout the process that the UK will not agree to anything that runs the risk of jeopardising sovereignty in other Overseas Territories.

"The UK government remains committed to defending the Falkland Islanders' right of self-determination, and the UK's unwavering commitment to defend UK sovereignty remains undiminished".

The Falkland Islands have been under British sovereignty since 1833, barring the three-month occupation by Argentina in 1982, which resulted in the Falklands War that claimed the lives of 255 British servicemen, three islanders and 649 Argentinian personnel.

In a 2013 referendum, 99.8% of islanders voted to retain their status as a UK overseas territory, something often cited by British politicians to dismiss Argentina's claim.

However, Argentina has not given up hope of reclaiming the islands and the country's president, Javier Milei, recently thrust his country's long-running claim over the British overseas territory back into the spotlight by calling for the islands to be handed over to Buenos Aires.

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Mr Milei, a radical libertarian, swept into office in December 2023 off the back of an election campaign promising wholesale changes to Argentina's state and economy.

He also pledged the country would gain sovereignty over the islands - known as Islas Malvinas by Argentines - and has suggested the UK should approach the issue in a similar way to the handover of Hong Kong to China in 1997, which followed the end of a 99-year lease.

Earlier this year Lord Cameron, the former foreign secretary, visited the Falkland Islands in what was seen as a high-profile demonstration that the remote South Atlantic archipelago remained a "valued part of the British family".

The foreign office has been approached for comment.