Acting President Hungley highlights responsibilities accompanying sovereignty over Chagos Archipelago

The Acting President of the Republic of Mauritius, Mr Jean Yvan Robert Hungley, highlighted that sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago entails responsibilities towards the Chagossian community, the environment and future generations. He was speaking at a colloquium held, yesterday, at the Municipal City Council of Port Louis.

Organised by the Middle Temple Association (Mauritius), the colloquium, themed ‘Mauritius’ Sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago: Where do we stand?’, examined the historical, constitutional, decolonisation, legal, diplomatic and geopolitical dimensions of the Chagos question. The Junior Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Trade, Mr Hambyrajen Narsinghen, and other personalities were also present.

Acting President Hungley observed that while the Chagos question is fundamentally a legal one, it also concerns decolonisation, people, the environment and the nature of the sovereignty Mauritius intends to exercise. He noted that the Agreement of 22 May 2025 has been signed but is not yet in force, against an increasingly complex geopolitical backdrop.

Mr Hungley underlined the significance of the International Court of Justice’s 2019 Advisory Opinion and subsequent proceedings before the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea. He emphasised that Article 1 of the 2025 Agreement recognises Mauritius’ sovereignty over the entire Chagos Archipelago, including Diego Garcia, adding that the challenge now concerns sovereignty in practice.

Speaking about the human dimension, the Acting President stressed that Chagossians must have a meaningful voice in decisions concerning their future. He pointed out that resettlement involves not only returning people to the islands, but also addressing housing, healthcare, education, transport, livelihoods, cultural heritage and language.

He moreover dwelt on the environmental responsibilities associated with sovereignty and stressed the need to strengthen Mauritius’ capacity in marine science, environmental management, maritime surveillance and fisheries governance. According to him, sovereignty is not a destination, but a responsibility.

During the Colloquium, the Legal Adviser, Mr Dheerendra Kumar Dabee, delivered a presentation on several themes, including: International law and territorial integrity; Self-determination and the International Court of Justice Advisory Opinion; Mauritius’ legal strategy before the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea; and the Limits of international law.

02 October 2026

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Topics: Foreign Affairs, Diplomacy