A former Minister of Foreign Affairs and the author of a novel about the uprooting of the Chagossians, Nando Bodha spoke to L'Express in late May 2025 about the agreement concluded between Mauritius and the United Kingdom on the Chagos Archipelago.
Progress, but not the end of the road
He welcomed a major but partial step forward in a struggle waged over decades. But he considers that Mauritius's sovereignty will never be full and complete for as long as Diego Garcia remains a military base under American and British control. He also raised questions about the terms of the financial compensation.
For memory and for the region
Nando Bodha stressed the place of the Chagossians, and of Chagossian women in particular, in the process ahead. He proposed the creation of a Chagos Memory Centre and an Indian Ocean forum, so that the archipelago's history might serve regional peace and cooperation.
A few days later, responding to the 2025-2026 Budget, he would regret that it contained not a single word for the Chagossians.