Mauritius calls for end to US lease on Chagos atoll

The newly elected left-wing government of Mauritius says it intends to mount a diplomatic offensive for the return of the Chagos Archipelago, which includes the key United States military base at Diego Garcia.

Some analysts say this move may be more rhetoric than real, but leaders presented a 12-month program at the first legislative session since elections earlier this month that expressed concern for what they called increased military activity in the Indian Ocean. Britain detached the islands before Mauritius became independent in 1968 and has leased Diego Garcia to the United States for 50 years as a military base.