Diego Garcia & the Chagos Archipelago: Strategic Stronghold in the Indian Ocean

📍Location:

Diego Garcia lies in the heart of the Indian Ocean, about 500 km south of the Maldives. It is the largest island in the Chagos Archipelago, a remote cluster of 58 islands forming the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT).

🌍 Geopolitical Importance

The U.S. recently deployed six B-2 stealth bombers to Diego Garcia amid escalating tensions with Iran.
This island serves as the only major U.S. military base in the Indian Ocean, enabling rapid power projection across Asia, Africa, and the Middle East—underscoring its value in Indo-Pacific security dynamics.

🏝️ Chagos Archipelago: A Disputed Legacy

• Colonial Roots:
  Originally settled in the late 1700s by enslaved African and Indian laborers brought by the French, the Chagos Islands were ceded to Britain in 1814 under the Treaty of Paris, along with Mauritius.
• Creation of BIOT (1965):
  In a controversial move, Britain separated the Chagos Archipelago from Mauritius, forming the BIOT and compensating Mauritius with £3 million.
• Forced Displacement:
  Between the 1960s and 1970s, the Creole-speaking Chagossians, original inhabitants of the islands, were forcibly evicted to accommodate a U.S. military facility on Diego Garcia.

🛡️ Diego Garcia: A Strategic Coral Atoll

• Geography:
  A pristine coral atoll located 7° south of the equator, Diego Garcia stands out as the largest and most significant island in the archipelago.
• Military Role:
  Initially leased to the U.S. and U.K. in 1967, it became a fully operational base by 1986. The island played a pivotal role in: The Gulf War, Iraq and Afghanistan wars, Post-9/11 military operations
• Sovereignty Dispute & Resolution (2024):
  Following a 2019 International Court of Justice (ICJ)ruling favoring Mauritius, the U.K. agreed in 2024 to transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius—excluding Diego Garcia, which remains under military lease to the U.S. and U.K. for 99 years.

🧭 Why It Matters to India

The ongoing geopolitical maneuvering in the Indian Ocean, especially the strategic use of Diego Garcia, has implications for India’s maritime security, regional influence, and its Indo-Pacific partnerships.

Image courtesy: theguardian.com