UN bans British stamps in Chagos island

Context

The Universal Postal Union (UPU) – the UN specialized agency for postal matters has banned British stamps from being used on the Chagos archipelago. All post from the Chagos Islands must now bear stamps from Mauritius.

The dispute

• There is a longstanding spat between Mauritius and Britain over the Chagos Islands, where London and Washington operate a joint military base.
• Although Mauritius became independent in 1968, the Chagos archipelago remained under British control.
• The Chagos Archipelago was previously recognized as part of the Overseas Territories of the United Kingdom.