Dubbed “mad Mike” by the East German media he made his name as a hired gun in the Congo crisis and became a laughing stock for a disastrous failed coup in the Seychelles.

It is surprising that Mike Hoare, who lived a dangerous life to the full, should have lived to 100.

Born of Irish parents in India, he embarked on a military career that saw him end the Second World War as a major.

After emigrating to South Africa, he met Congolese leader Moïse Tshombe and fought as a mercenary for him.

But it was the failed Seychelles coup in 1978 that saw him jailed and transformed him to soldier-of-ill-fortune 

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Recent events at the International Court of Justice in the Hague and the United Nations General Assembly remind us there is another: Britain’s continued administration of the Indian Ocean Chagos Archipelago.

Holding sway over the empire upon which the sun never set, Britain began calling the shots on  developments in the Indian Oceans around Mauritius from 1814.

Before giving that country independence in 1968, Britain paid four million pounds for the Chagos Archipelago and called it the British Indian Ocean Territory

In the mid sixties it leased one of the islands, Diego Garcia to the United States.

The Pentagon build a strategically importnat military base there, secure in the knowledge that it has tenure until 2035.

At Washington’s behest, Britain moved the  1800-odd islanders  off their home. They have never been allowed to return.

This type of behaviour might have been generally accepted in a bygone era of colonial administration..

It does not wash today – certainly not from a  country that has long passed the twilight of its global power.

Britain has set aside 40 million pounds to assist the displaced Chagoans who are mostly in Britain, the Seychelles and Mauritius.

Still not good enough.

The matter was brought to the United Nations’ top court that found in February that Britain had acted illegally by hiving off the archipelago to continue its occupation. The ICJ ruled this should end as soon as possible.

In the General Assembly this week, an African-sponsored motion was passed by 116 votes to six giving Britain six month to get off Chagos.

Britain’s ambassador to the world organization Dame Karen Pierce said candidly that this would not happen.

Britain is determined to continue its control of Chagos at least until 2036.

Not surprisingly the United States was one of the half-dozen opponents of the resolution.

It reminded the international community that operations from Diego Garcia protect the region from terrorists and pirates. The base is also used for humanitarian purposes like reducing tsunami victims.

Diego Garcia is not used to house terror suspects  but it is used as a refueling stop in transitioning them from points of capture to places of incarceration.

It was also used for US bombing raids on Iraq and Afghanistan after the 9/11 attacks on New York and Washington 18 years ago.

Neither the ICJ ruling nor the UNGA resolution is binding.

General Assembly resolutions cannot be enforced.

However the strongly reflects international opinion.

Flying in the face of it brings into question Britain’s commitment to the multilateral system of  governance.

With its military power having waned, Britain, like most other countries, has to rely on moral clout.

Mauritian Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth urged countries to support the General Assembly resolution, saying failure to do so would be endorsing colonialism.

He maintains the United States can lease its military base from his government, adding that Mauritius would find it deeply offensive if Washington did not regard it as a trusted security partner.

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They’re on their way home where their families say they never gave up hope of seeing them again.

It took international mediators nearly two years of negotiations to secure their freedom.

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The hostages were met by their diplomatic representatives in Nairobi.

They come from Cambodia, China, Taiwan, Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam.

Their ship was seized south of the Seychelles.

When eventually it sank, the hostages were moved into the bush where they were forced to live off the land.

They spoke of eating rats to stay alive.

Their ship was  not insured against piracy.

Mediators had to get the pirates to modify their huge demands and accept a lesser payment for what they called compensation for the local community

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He’ll be in South Africa on Friday.

Modi’s first visit  to the African mainland reflects India’s desire to further strengthen and reinvigorate bilateral ties with the continent.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s African  tour will include Tanzania and Kenya.

Last year he called on Mauritius and Seychelles.

India’s ties with Africa were renewed by the Africa India Forum Summit last October attended by no fewer than 41 of the 54 African leaders.

India’s pushing hard to to get solid African backing for it’s desire to get a permanent seat on the UN Security Council.

Modi will see the leaders of all four countries he’s visiting this month.

His South Africa itinerary includes visits to Johannesburg. Pietermaritzburg and Durban.

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In Nairobi, the Sierra Leon team’s been barred from entering a plane bound for the Indian Ocean island.

The Confederation of African Football confirmed Seychelles withdrawal in a statement without giving a reason.

Sierra Leone President Ernest Bai Koroma’s declared a state of emergency and ordered the military to enforce the quarantine of parts of his country….

….as has Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf who has also barred football matches and practices to avoid the human contact spreading the deadly haemorraghic disease that started in Guinea in February.

Both Koroma and Sirleaf have scrapped plans to travel to Washington for next week’s US Africa summit.

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