The United Kingdom has signed an agreement to transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Islands, located in the central Indian Ocean, to the Republic of Mauritius. The Chagos Archipelago, a group of over 60 islands, has been the subject of a longstanding sovereignty dispute between the U.K. and Mauritius. The agreement stipulates that, despite the transfer of sovereignty, the United Kingdom will maintain arrangements to ensure the continued operation of a United States military base on Diego Garcia, the largest island in the archipelago. Diego Garcia has been a key strategic military facility for the U.S. since the 1970s, serving as a logistical hub for operations in the Middle East and the Indian Ocean region. The transfer follows international legal rulings and United Nations resolutions calling for the decolonization of the Chagos Islands and their return to Mauritius. However, the agreement preserves the status of the U.S. military presence, which is considered vital for regional security by the United States and its allies.