La date limite pour répondre au questionnaire de l’International Relations and Defence Committee des Lords fixée au 1er décembre, avec les Findings soumis le 18 décembre
Des membres de la communauté chagossienne invités à partager leurs commentaires sur des aspects du Chagos Deal, soit le Resettlement et l’emploi dans l’archipel, la gestion du Trust Fund envisagée et le Management du Marine Protected Area
Un Online Survey est proposé en substitut à la demande formelle pour un référendum sur le Chagos Deal anglo-mauricien, demandes réitérées lors des débats dans la nuit de mardi à mercredi à la House of Lords (voir extraits plus loin). Devant la pression exercée au niveau de la House of Lords et dans les rangs des conservateurs britanniques au sujet de la Self-Determination en ce qui concerne la restitution de la souveraineté de l’archipel des Chagos à Maurice, les autorités britanniques ont pris la décision d’assurer un sondage d’opinion des membres de la communauté chagossienne sur les principaux aspects du traité anglo-mauricien du 22 mai 2025. Cette mission délicate a été confiée aux membres de l’International Relations and Defence Committee de la House of Lords, instance qui avait déjà eu l’occasion de passer en revue les détails de l’accord anglo-mauricien du 22 mai 2025 et dont le rapport avait déjà été adopté par cette même House of Lords. L’exercice arrêté se déroulera indépendamment de la seconde étape de mardi prochain du Line by Line Scrutiny du Diego Garcia Military Base and British Indian Ocean Territory Bill au niveau du Whole Committee de la House of Lords.
Néanmoins, l’annonce officielle de la tenue de ce Survey, faite mercredi, fait état d’un calendrier de travail très contraignant et vraiment Tight. En effet, les membres de la communauté chagossienne, désirant participer à cet exercice, d’où qu’ils se trouvent dans le monde, soit au Royaume-Uni, à Maurice et aux Seychelles, auront jusqu’au 1 er décembre pour remplir un formulaire accessible en ligne, en version anglaise, française et kreol. Les Law Lords, faisant partie de cette instance, auront à soumettre leurs Findings aux autorités au plus tard le 18 décembre.
D’emblée, l’International Relations and Defence Committee souligne que « we have been invited by the government and the main opposition party to seek Chagossian views on the UK’s Agreement with Mauritius concerning the Chagos Archipelago, including Diego Garcia. We are not the UK Government – our role is to make recommendations, and it is for the Government to decide what to do with them. » Poursuivant par rapport aux attributions de ce mandat, les Law Lords ajoutent que « members of the House of Lords want to hear your opinions on the Agreement before voting on it. We are keen to hear from those across the global Chagossian diaspora, recognising that experiences and perspectives may differ. »
L’International Relations and Defence Committee concède également au sujet des contraintes pour mener à bien cet exercice tout en souhaitant une participation des Chagossiens. « A short survey cannot capture the full diversity of the Chagossian experience, and not everyone may be able to take part. Even so, your contribution will help the Committee and members of the Lords build a more informed picture of Chagossian perspectives. We are trying to reach as many people as possible by sharing the survey with Chagossian groups, using a contact list provided by the UK’s Foreign Office, and engaging with relevant media outlets. Please pass on the details of this survey to any Chagossians who you think may be interested in participating », ajoute le communiqué officiel, qui rassure que « your answers will be classed as evidence and will be published online, and may be quoted or summarised. We will use the ‘About You’ responses as statistical data in the report but all contributions to this survey will be anonymised. »
Les Chagossiens sont appelés à partager leurs opinions et commentaires, sous forme de Pick and Choose et de commentaires de 1 000 à 1 500 signes, au sujet des principaux aspects du Chagos Deal, en l’occurrence
– Resettlement and Employment Opportunities – How confident are you that Mauritius will support Chagossians to resettle on the outer islands? – How important is it that people of Chagossian descent are given greater opportunity to work on the military base on Diego Garcia? – How likely are you to apply to work on the military base on Diego Garcia if employment was made more accessible for Chagossians?
– Financial Support en faveur des Chagossiens avec le Trust Fund de £40 millions – How confident are you that Chagossians will benefit from this? – How do you think the money from the trust fund should be used to best support the Chagossian community? For example, what should the priorities be? – What oversight mechanisms or management arrangements would give you confidence that the Trust Fund is being properly managed? – What projects should it prioritise (avec les £ 45 millions annuellement pendant 25 ans)?
– Environmental protection and fishing rights – Is the establishment of a new Marine Protected Area important to you? – Who should play a role in managing the Marine Protected Area around the Chagos islands? – How can conservation efforts protect nature and still keep Chagossian fishing traditions alive?
Encarts
Lord Callanan: « We need to give them a Voice »
« My Lords, I am very interested to hear all the contributions from noble Lords on this important debate on the consultation of the Chagossians, or rather the lack of consultation. There have been some powerful speeches, particularly that from the noble Lord, Lord McCrea. Establishing a permanent representative of the Chagossians, as he proposes in his Amendment 37, would indeed be a very powerful thing. I think everybody has agreed that we need to give them a voice. They have not been properly consulted by the Foreign Office, and I am happy to concede to the noble Lord that they were not properly consulted by previous Governments either. No legislative scrutiny will change that. »
Baroness Chapman of Darlington: « We remain committed to building a relationship with the Chagossian community »
« My Lords, it is worth restating—and many of the contributions have stated this too—that this Government deeply regret the way the Chagossians were removed from the Chagos archipelago. (…) We remain committed to building a relationship with the Chagossian community that is built on respect and an acknowledgement of the wrongs of the past. I know—and I agree with much of what has been said—that this House clearly feels very strongly about Chagossians and ensuring that their views are properly heard. We have agreed that the International Relations and Defence Committee will undertake an important piece of work looking at Chagossian views on the treaty. We are looking forward to its report and I am sure we will all read it with great interest. »
