UK lifts ban on transferring Chagos Islands to Mauritius

A British court said Thursday that the UK can transfer sovereignty over the contested and strategically located Chagos Islands to Mauritius, overturning a block that was imposed hours before the agreement was due to be signed.

- ASSOCIATED PRESS

High Court judge Martin Chamberlain said after a hearing Thursday that an injunction barring the handover should be removed. He said "the public interest and the interests of the United Kingdom would be substantially prejudiced" if there was a further delay.

The UK government welcomed the ruling, saying "this deal is vital to protect the British people and our national security."

The UK has agreed to hand Mauritius the Indian Ocean archipelago, which is home to a strategically important naval and bomber base on the largest of the islands, Diego Garcia. The UK would then lease back the base for at least 99 years.