The sovereignty of the Chagos Islands by the United Kingdom is being questioned by Mauritius

 

The United Kingdom's claim to the Chagos archipelago has been openly questioned. 

This occurred when the Mauritian ambassador to the United Nations, Jagdish Koonjul, raised his country's flag in a ceremony on Monday. The national anthem of Mauritius was also sung by the Mauritian officials.

"We are executing the symbolic act of hoisting the flag as the British have done so many times to establish colonies," the envoy stated in a storey by The Guardian. We, on the other hand, are regaining territory that has always been ours."

In a pre-recorded speech, Mauritian Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth said: "Mauritius is leading an expedition to this area of its land for the first time. I'm disappointed that I won't be able to attend this historic event. I'm overjoyed that our Chagossian brothers and sisters will be able to visit their ancestral homeland without the need for a western [i.e. British] escort."

The message was broadcast over a loudspeaker to the assembled Chagossians, Mauritian officials, and reporters on the beach.

"I don't know what they are going to do," Jugnauth told the Guardian when asked what would happen if the Mauritian flag was removed later. "It will be a provocation on their behalf if they remove the flag. The United Kingdom disobeys international law judgements."

On the island, some British Indian Ocean territorial markers were also removed. "Visit of the Mauritius delegation to the Peros Banhos archipelago, Republic of Mauritius, in the context of the scientific assessment of Blenheim Reef," read a metal plaque near the flagpole.