International court opinion sought on UK-Mauritius islands dispute

Chagos islanders protesting outside the High Court in 2016

A dispute between the UK and Mauritius over sovereignty of the Chagos Islands will be referred to the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

The United Nations' General Assembly voted to seek an opinion from the ICJ on Mauritius' claim that Britain illegally maintains sovereignty over the territory, including Diego Garcia, where the United States has a major military base in the Indian Ocean.