Assembly/AU/Res.1(XXVIII) Page 1 RESOLUTION ON CHAGOS ARCHIPELAGO Doc. EX.CL/994(XXX) The Assembly, 1. TAKES NOTE of the Report of the Chairperson on the activities of the AU Commission; 2. HAVING REGARDto the unlawful excision of the Chagos Archipelago, including Diego Garcia, from the territory of Mauritius by the United Kingdom, the former colonial power, prior to the independence of Mauritius, in violation of international law and UN Resolutions 1514 (XV) of 14 December 1960 and 2066 (XX) of 16 December 1965 which prohibit colonial powers from dismembering colonial territories prior to granting independence, as well as UN Resolutions 2232 (XXI) of 20 December 1966 and 2357(XXII) of 19 December 1967; 3. REAFFIRMS that the Chagos Archipelago, including Diego Garcia, forms an integral part of the territory of the Republic of Mauritius and that the decolonization of the Republic of Mauritius will not be complete until it is able to exercise its full sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago; 4. RECALLS In this regard the previous resolutions adopted by the Assembly, in particular, Resolution Assembly/AU/Res.1(XXV) of June 2015 of the Assembly of the African Union held in Johannesburg, South Africa, expressing its full support to the efforts and actions in accordance with international law, including those of a diplomatic and legal nature at the level of the United Nations system, which may be taken by the Government of the Republic of Mauritius for the early and unconditional return of the Chagos Archipelago, including Diego Garcia, to the effective control of the Republic of Mauritius; 5. NOTES that at the request of the Government of the Republic of Mauritius, an item entitled “Request for an advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice on the legal consequences of the separation of the Chagos Archipelago from Mauritius in 1965” has been included in the agenda of the 71st Session of the United Nations General Assembly and that action on that item is likely to be taken in June 2017; 6. RESOLVES to fully support the action initiated by the Government of the Republic of Mauritius at the level of the United Nations General Assembly with a view to ensuring the completion of the decolonization of the Republic of Mauritius and enabling the Republic of Mauritius to effectively exercise its sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago, including Diego Garcia; 7. DECIDES to remain seized of the matter and REQUESTS the Commission to report on progress and the implementation of this decision to the Assembly in July 2017. 28th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the Union, 30 - 31 January 2017, Addis Ababa