Strategic Islands

[davidbfpo]

Once again the UK courts have rejected the claim by former residents of the Chagos Islands to return home; Diego Garcia is one of the islands:http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-36659976

[davidbfpo]

Thanks to a footnote in the latest Sentinel I found this report and the expansion of the UAE's role, if not de facto occupation of Socotra.
Link:https://www.alaraby.co.uk/english/in...sland-paradise

[davidbfpo]

Not heard of this island nor it new owner and id'd via a broader regional article. See:https://www.criticalthreats.org/anal...ble-for-africa

The latest tension was sparked after Sudan signed an agreement to temporarily hand over the Red Sea island of Suakin to Turkey. Ankara and Khartoum said Turkey would rebuild the ruined, sparsely populated Ottoman island to increase tourism and create a transit point for pilgrims crossing the Red Sea to Islam's holiest city of Mecca. Turkey is also set to build a naval dock on the island.
Egyptian media criticised the agreement and alleged Turkey would build a military base on the island.

Link:https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/...053325960.html

The island is within the large creek that adjoins Suakin city, once a key port, but replaced by Port Sudan. Some history and a photo via:https://www.dailysabah.com/feature/2...-two-centuries

[davidbfpo]

Ho hum:

The UK has been ordered to hand back the Chagos Islands (Added: which includes Diego Garcia) to Mauritius “as rapidly as possible” after the United Nations’ highest court ruled that continued British occupation of the remote Indian Ocean archipelago is illegal.

Link:https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/feb/25/un-court-rejects-uk-claim-to-sovereignty-over-chagos-islands?

An AP report bizarrely refers to:

The Pentagon’s heavily fortified air base on Diego Garcia..

Link:https://www.theglobeandmail.com/worl...an-colony-the/

As I recall there is a very small RN detachment, with some launches and I doubt anything is fortified.

[davidbfpo]

An update on the competition on Socotra between Yemeni factions: those who support the Hadi government and the UAE-funded & trained Security Belt Forces.

Note a likely fact 60,000 residents and

The UAE first deployed fighters to Socotra last April. Until then, the island had been free of the fighting that raged on mainland Yemen.

Link:https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/a...yemens-socotra