evidence: Currently, the UK maintains control over the archipelago. The whole of Mauritius used to be a British colony, the Chagos islands were detached in 1965, from the Crown Colony prior to granting Mauritius independence. A new colonial territory was created – effectively recolonising the archipelago – under the name ‘British Indian Ocean Territory’ (BIOT). [...] Despite the archipelago’s name – which indicates it is a British colony – the forcible eviction of the Chagossians was set in motion in the US. As part of the US strategy to expand its military bases around the world, Diego Garcia was identified in 1958, as an ideal location for a future military base by a US naval officer. [...] The following year, the US drafted an agreement for the lease of the islands from the UK. The agreement took the form of an Exchange of Notes, where the Chagos Islands were leased to the US for an initial 50-year term with an option for a 20-year extension. This option was exercised in 2016, extending occupation to 2036.