By Alistair Smout, Michael Holden and Villen Anganan LONDON/PORT LOUIS (Reuters) -Britain said on Thursday it would cede sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius in a deal it said secured the future of the UK-U.

Britain struck a deal to cede sovereignty over the Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean to Mauritius, while keeping control of a strategically important UK-US military base for another century.Under the agreement,

British Foreign Minister David Lammy said the deal settled the contested sovereignty of Britain’s last overseas territory in Africa, while securing the long-term future of the Diego Garcia military base,