Evicted islanders demand right to return

Most islanders have not seen their home for 30 years

By BBC Africa correspondent Hilary Andersson

Hundreds of protesters have gathered outside the British High Commission on Mauritius, demanding the right to return home to the island of Diego Garcia.

The protesters are refugees from the Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean, which include the British territory of Diego Garcia.

The islanders were evicted from their land by the British government over 30 years ago.

American B-52 bombers use Diego Garcia for their attacks on Afghanistan

Their land is now home to a high-security US military base, which is being used as a major staging post for the American-led military operations in Afghanistan.

The protestors say they will stay outside the High Commission until their demands are met.

Last November, the High Court in London ruled that the British Government had acted unlawfully in evicting the residents of the islands back in the 1960s. But the court's decision has not changed the lives of the refugees, many of whom still live in slums and in poverty.

The Foreign Office in London says it is conducting a feasibility study, looking at the practical problems of returning the refugees home. But there is no time limit for the study's completion.

America and Britain's priority over this issue appeared to be primarily strategic.