evidence: The British Indian Ocean Territory was created in November 1965. It encompassed seven atolls in the Chagos archipelago, which were legally separated from Mauritius along with three islands – Aldabra, Desroches and Farquhar – that were later ceded to the Seychelles when it gained independence in 1976. [...] The British Indian Ocean Territory was established through a statutory instrument, which legally detached the islands from Mauritius without requiring parliamentary oversight. Britain paid Mauritius £3 million as part of the agreement. [...] It also helps remove a lingering colonial issue from Britain’s international agenda, especially after years of legal and diplomatic pressure from Mauritius and international bodies. For the UK, it signals the end of its final colonial territory in Africa, a significant milestone in its decolonisation process.