The Mauritian government said it’s reached an agreement with the UK regarding the Indian Ocean island nation’s sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago.

The U.K. says it has reached a "historic" deal to cede the Chagos Archipelago in the Indian Ocean to the Republic of Mauritius, thus surrendering the final colony of Britain's once-sprawling African empire.

Under the deal reached by Sir Keir Starmer with Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth, the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) or Chagos Islands is to be handed back more than five decades after the rest of Mauritius won independence from the UK.