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The British government approved the cession of the Chagos Archipelago to Mauritius in the House of Commons on Tuesday. Last May, the Labor government under Prime Minister Keir Starmer signed the treaty ceding the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) to the African island state. The step is ostensibly intended to serve decolonization, but is highly controversial. Finally, on the island of Diego Garcia, which is part of the archipelago, there is a British-US military base of the highest strategic importance. Now the majority of MPs voted for the law that regulates the handover of the area and control of the base. 320 MPs voted for the bill, 171 against. The handover could take place by the end of the year.
