By: Okoi Obono-Obla The remote Indian Ocean island of the Chagos Archipelago, situated about 2,000 kilometres from the southeas...
By: Okoi Obono-Obla
The remote Indian Ocean island of the Chagos Archipelago, situated about 2,000 kilometres from the southeastern corner of the African continent, recently made headlines when President Donald Trump, in his characteristic brusque manner, used the island to launch a blistering attack on the United Kingdom. He suggested that the UK’s decision to hand over sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to the Republic of Mauritius, in compliance with the ruling of the International Court of Justice, was “the greatest act of stupidity.”
Who are the Chagossians? Many Africans are unaware that the Chagossians are authentic African people, an admixture of African and South Asian communities of Malay and Indian origin. The French first brought some to the Chagos Islands as slaves from Mauritius in 1786. Others arrived during the 19th century as fishermen, farmers, and coconut plantation workers.
The Chagossians speak Chagossian Creole, a French-based creole language that incorporates vocabulary from African and Asian languages. It belongs to the Bourbonnais Creole family and is still spoken today by some of their descendants in Mauritius and the Seychelles.
Between the mid-1960s and early 1970s, the Chagossians were forcibly removed from their homeland by the British government to make way for a US military base on Diego Garcia, following Mauritius’ independence from the United Kingdom in 1965.
Conclusion:
The story of the Chagossians is one of resilience amid displacement. Their language, culture, and identity continue to survive despite the injustices they endured. The ongoing debate over sovereignty highlights not only geopolitical tensions but also the enduring struggle of a people seeking recognition and justice.
@ Okoi Obono-Obla
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