evidence: UK will give sovereignty of Chagos Islands to Mauritius - Published [...] The deal – reached after years of negotiations - will see the UK hand over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius in a historic move. [...] In recent years, the UK has faced rising diplomatic isolation over its claim to what it refers to as the British Indian Ocean Territory, with various United Nations bodies, including its top court and general assembly, overwhelmingly siding with Mauritius and demanding the UK surrender what some have called its "last colony in Africa".