The Human Story of Diego Garcia: A Military Base with a Complex Past
In the vast expanse of the Indian Ocean lies a small coral atoll called Diego Garcia. Part of the Chagos Archipelago, this horseshoe-shaped island might seem insignificant on a world map, but it has become one of the most strategically important military locations for the United States. Since the 1970s, Diego Garcia has hosted a major U.S. military base, serving as a critical hub for American operations throughout the Indian Ocean, Middle East, and South Asia regions. The base provides logistical support for U.S. and allied forces, houses long-range bombers, supports naval operations, and contains communication and intelligence facilities. Its isolated location—roughly halfway between East Africa and Southeast Asia—gives it tremendous strategic value, allowing the U.S. to project power across multiple regions while remaining relatively secure from potential attacks.
The establishment of this military outpost, however, cannot be separated from its troubling human cost. Before Diego Garcia became a military installation, it was home to approximately 1,500-2,000 Chagossians, also known as Ilois—people who had lived there for generations, developing their own unique culture and way of life since the late 18th century. Between 1968 and 1973, the entire indigenous population was forcibly removed from the Chagos Islands by the British government to make way for the American base. This forced displacement occurred after the UK separated the Chagos Islands from Mauritius before granting Mauritius independence, creating the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) and subsequently leasing Diego Garcia to the United States. The Chagossians were relocated primarily to Mauritius and the Seychelles, often in conditions of extreme poverty, with inadequate compensation and little assistance for resettlement.
This dark chapter represents one of the most controversial aspects of Diego Garcia’s history. The displaced Chagossians have spent decades fighting legal battles for the right to return to their homeland or receive fair compensation for their removal. Their struggle has involved multiple court cases in the UK, appeals to human rights organizations, and garnering international support. In 2019, the International Court of Justice issued an advisory opinion stating that the UK should end its administration of the Chagos Islands “as rapidly as possible,” and later that year, the UN General Assembly voted overwhelmingly to demand that the UK withdraw from the Chagos Archipelago. Despite these developments, the UK has maintained its position, citing security agreements with the United States, and the base continues to operate.
From a military perspective, Diego Garcia has proven invaluable to American strategic interests over the decades. During the Cold War, it served as a crucial listening post and potential staging area to counter Soviet influence in the Indian Ocean. In more recent history, the base has played pivotal roles in U.S. operations during the Gulf War, the War in Afghanistan, and the Iraq War. Aircraft from Diego Garcia have conducted bombing missions, while its port facilities have supported naval operations throughout the region. The base also serves as a critical link in global communications networks and houses pre-positioned military equipment and supplies that can be rapidly deployed during crises. Its remoteness—more than 1,000 miles from the nearest continent—provides natural security while still allowing strategic reach across vital maritime routes and regions of geopolitical importance.
Today, Diego Garcia remains at the intersection of military necessity, colonial legacy, and human rights concerns. The base continues to evolve in response to changing strategic priorities, particularly as the United States increasingly focuses on the Indo-Pacific region amid rising tensions with China. Recent developments have included infrastructure improvements and the periodic deployment of strategic bombers to demonstrate American capabilities and resolve. Meanwhile, the Chagossians continue their fight for justice, with some advocates pushing for a solution that would allow both the base to operate and the indigenous people to return to at least some of the Chagos Islands. The issue remains emotionally charged, with many Chagossians maintaining a deep connection to their homeland despite decades of exile, and their story has become an important case study in the human costs of military strategic decisions.
The future of Diego Garcia involves complex questions about sovereignty, strategic interests, and historical justice. Mauritius continues to claim the Chagos Islands as part of its territory, a position now supported by international legal opinions. The current lease agreement between the U.S. and UK extends to 2036, but what happens afterward remains uncertain. As global power dynamics shift and new security challenges emerge in the Indo-Pacific region, the strategic value of Diego Garcia may only increase. At the same time, the growing international recognition of the rights of indigenous peoples and the ongoing advocacy of the Chagossian community suggest that the unresolved human aspects of this situation cannot be indefinitely ignored. Finding a path forward that acknowledges both strategic realities and human rights will likely be one of the major challenges regarding this small but significant island in the coming decades.
