History of Mauritian independence

History: Mauritius

From the Mauritius Independence Act, 1968 to independence on 12 March 1968 and UN admission six weeks later.

1 min read

Published

24 September 2026

Status verified as of

18 September 2026

The 1965 excision of the Chagos Archipelago

Ahead of Mauritian independence, the United Kingdom excised the Chagos Archipelago from the Colony of Mauritius on 8 November 1965 to create the British Indian Ocean Territory, in talks with Mauritian ministers that included UK compensation payments, and later forcibly relocated the Chagossian population between 1968 and 1973.[1]

8 November 1965 · Administrative change

Excision of the Chagos Archipelago, 1965

Ahead of Mauritian independence, the United Kingdom excised the Chagos Archipelago from the Colony of Mauritius to create the British Indian Ocean Territory, and later relocated the Chagossian population.

Independence

The Mauritius Independence Act, 1968, given Royal Assent on 29 February 1968, provided that "on and after 12th March 1968 ... Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom shall have no responsibility for the government of Mauritius."[2]

12 March 1968 · Declaration

Independence of Mauritius, 1968

The Mauritius Independence Act, 1968 ended British responsibility for the government of Mauritius with effect from 12 March 1968.

United Nations membership

The Security Council unanimously recommended Mauritius's UN membership on 18 April 1968, and the General Assembly admitted Mauritius on 24 April 1968.[3][4]

24 April 1968 · Recognition

Admission of Mauritius to the United Nations, 1968

The Security Council unanimously recommended Mauritius's admission to the United Nations on 18 April 1968, and the General Assembly admitted it on 24 April 1968.

The 2019 ICJ advisory opinion

In 2019, the International Court of Justice found in an advisory opinion that the 1965 detachment was not based on a free and genuine expression of the will of the people concerned and that Mauritius's decolonisation was not lawfully completed in 1968; the General Assembly then adopted a resolution demanding the UK withdraw its colonial administration.[5][6]

25 February 2019 · Legal decision

ICJ Advisory Opinion on the Chagos Archipelago, 2019

The International Court of Justice found in a 2019 advisory opinion that the 1965 detachment of the Chagos Archipelago was not lawfully agreed and that Mauritius's decolonisation was not completed in 1968; the General Assembly then called on the UK to withdraw its administration.

Sources for this page

Each number marks a specific claim. Notes give the source, its locator and how it relates to the claim.

Claim: On 8 November 1965, the United Kingdom excised the Chagos Archipelago from the Colony of Mauritius (together with three islands from the Seychelles) to create the British Indian Ocean Territory, negotiated with Mauritian ministers ahead of independence and including UK compensation payments; between 1968 and 1973 the UK forcibly relocated the Chagossian population to make way for a US military base on Diego Garcia.

British Indian Ocean Territory (Wikipedia) link, article text. Source record Consulted via a general-reference encyclopedia article, not primary UK archival or negotiation records.

Claim: The Mauritius Independence Act, 1968, given Royal Assent on 29 February 1968, provided in Section 1(1): "On and after 12th March 1968 (in this Act referred to as 'the appointed day') Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom shall have no responsibility for the government of Mauritius." Section 5(1) defined "Mauritius" as "the territories which immediately before the appointed day constitute the Colony of Mauritius."

Parliament of the United Kingdom, Mauritius Independence Act 1968 (Chapter 8) (29 February 1968) link, Sections 1 and 5. Government perspective or primary official source Source record

Claim: On 18 April 1968, at its 1414th meeting, the Security Council, having examined the application of Mauritius, unanimously recommended to the General Assembly that Mauritius be admitted to UN membership.

United Nations Security Council, Security Council resolution 249 (1968) (United Nations, 18 April 1968) link, resolution text. Source record

Claim: The General Assembly, at its 1643rd plenary meeting on 24 April 1968, having received the Security Council's recommendation and considered Mauritius's application, decided to admit Mauritius to United Nations membership.

United Nations General Assembly, General Assembly resolution 2371 (XXII): Admission of Mauritius to membership in the United Nations (United Nations, 24 April 1968) link, operative paragraph. Source record

Claim: On 25 February 2019, the International Court of Justice, in an advisory opinion requested by UN General Assembly resolution 71/292, found that the 1965 detachment of the Chagos Archipelago from Mauritius was not based on a free and genuine expression of the will of the people concerned, and that the decolonisation of Mauritius was not lawfully completed in 1968.

International Court of Justice, Legal Consequences of the Separation of the Chagos Archipelago from Mauritius in 1965, Advisory Opinion (International Court of Justice, 25 February 2019) link, advisory opinion. Source record

Claim: On 22 May 2019, the General Assembly adopted resolution 73/295, welcoming the ICJ's advisory opinion and demanding that the United Kingdom withdraw its colonial administration from the Chagos Archipelago within six months, by a recorded vote of 116 in favour to 6 against, with 56 abstentions.

United Nations General Assembly, General Assembly resolution 73/295: Advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice on the Legal Consequences of the Separation of the Chagos Archipelago from Mauritius in 1965 (United Nations, 22 May 2019) link, resolution text. Source record