During his participation at the 38th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union (AU), held on 15 and 16 February 2025, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, the Prime Minister, Dr Navinchandra Ramgoolam, in his various interventions, expressed his gratitude to the African Union and all its Member States for their unconditional and unequivocal support to the fight of the Republic of Mauritius for its sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago.
The Prime Minister also informed the AU Member States of the ongoing discussions with the United Kingdom Government which, he deemed, were moving in the right direction. He added that Member States would be kept fully briefed on the issue.
In his statement to the Assembly as a newly elected Head of Government, Dr Ramgoolam stressed that the 2025 AU theme of the year - 'Justice for Africans and People of African Descent through Reparations' was appropriate and timely. He recalled that there was still a last colony in Africa, the Chagos Archipelago, which was excised from Mauritius prior to independence in total defiance of United Nations (UN) resolutions 1514 and 2066. "Restoring the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Mauritius is a major priority for my Government," affirmed the Prime Minister.
Furthermore, in his remarks on the 2025 AU theme, Prime Minister Ramgoolam dwelt on the plight of the inhabitants of the Chagos Archipelago who were forcibly removed by the United Kingdom in the wake of its unlawful excision of the Chagos Archipelago from the territory of Mauritius prior to independence. "My Government is taking special measures in their favour and that of their descendants through the Chagossian Welfare Fund. We also support their aspirations, as Mauritian citizens, to be able to resettle in the Chagos Archipelago if they so wish," he said.
The Prime Minister seized the opportunity of his address at the Assembly to elaborate on the new Government Programme for the years 2025-2029 under the theme 'A Bridge to the Future', which sets the agenda for the reconstruction of the nation for a better future for all the citizens of Mauritius. He stated that the need for sustainable action centred around People, Planet and Prosperity was high on the Government Agenda. "This mirrors in many ways what we, African leaders have subscribed to in Agenda 2063 in terms of inclusive and sustainable development for our people and for a rapid transformation of our societies," he averred.
According to Dr Ramgoolam, Government is committed to restore dignity to the people and restore their faith in social justice, the rule of law, and democratic principles. He outlined the need to strengthen democratic institutions, including the way elections are conducted in a modern society. He thanked the AU Electoral Observer Mission, led by Dr Mujuru, and despatched to Mauritius for the last general elections, for their recommendations on how to further consolidate democratic governance and improve the electoral process. Dr Ramgoolam added that Government was examining these recommendations with utmost attention.
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Regarding the institutional reform of the AU, Dr Ramgoolam stressed that it is essential to transform the Organisation so that it could fulfil its promises efficiently, and transparently. He was of the view that the proposed reforms could empower the AU in positively impacting several areas of concerns for the African continent such as financial sustainability; peace and security; the implementation of the Agenda 2063 to achieve the Pan-African vision of an integrated, prosperous and peaceful Africa; the Africa Continental Free Trade Area aiming at economic growth and prosperity; the operationalisation of the African Court of Justice; and climate change.
