Mauritius delegation setting sail to press claim for Chagos Islands

Protesters hold banners outside an international court in The Hague in 2018 (Mike Corder/AP)

A delegation from Mauritius is setting sail to the Chagos Islands to press the country’s claim for the Indian Ocean archipelago, which is also claimed by Britain and is home to a US military base.

It is the first time Mauritius has embarked upon an expedition to the islands without seeking the permission of the UK, Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth said, adding it is a “concrete step” in “exercising its sovereignty and sovereign rights in relation to the Chagos Archipelago”.