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Exiled for 50 years - the return of the Chagos Islanders

The ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ's Andrew Harding witnesses the extraordinary return journey of the islanders - to a place which has been hidden from the outside world for decades.

Half a century ago Britain took control of the Chagos Islands from its then colony, Mauritius, and evicted the population of more than 1,000 people to make way for a US military base. Since then several international legal rulings have called for it to be handed back. But Britain denies it is occupying the territory illegally. Now, for the first time, a group of Chagossians has returned - and erected a Mauritian flag. They travelled with a scientific expedition aiming to map reefs around the islands. For 5 Minutes On, the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ's Africa correspondent, Andrew Harding, and his producer, Ed Habershon, joined them on their journey – and witnessed their extraordinary story.

Photo credit: ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ

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5 minutes