Indigenous
Chagossian
People
Meet Our Team
Mrs Bernadette Dugasse
President
Bernadette is a Chagossian Native, born on Diego Garcia. At 2 years old, I was uprooted and dumped on the pier in the Seychelles, that is where she grew up. She became an activist and started campaigning for the Chagossian community in 1995 till now.
Ms Beatrice Pompé
Chair Person
Beatrice is a Chagossian Native born on Diego Garcia. Inhumanely deported to the Seychelles in 1971. She has been living in London for 23 years and is a strong-minded activist fighting for the right to go back home. What happened 60 years ago should not happen again. She filed a court case on the 22nd of May 2025 to stop the UK-Mauritius agreement and another one on the 28th of October 2025, still awaiting a verdict.
London,
cinanbertrice@yahoo.co.uk Tel: (+44) 7792564460
Mrs Cynthia Othello
Secretary
Cynthia is a Chagossian descendant, the founder of the Association of Chagossians in France, and a committed activist for justice, memory, and the right of return of the Chagossian people. In 2001–2002, She participated in legal actions before the UK High Court. She continue to advocate for the Chagossian cause internationally, including at the United Nations, and serve as Secretary of the ICP.
,France info@indigenouschagossianp.com Tel: +336 27 84 12 96
Mrs Elodie Tranchez
Legal Adviser
Elodie Tranchez is an international human rights lawyer and academic with a PhD, specialising in strategic litigation before UN human rights mechanisms. She teaches human rights law and public international law, inter alia.
Elodie Tranchez has been actively involved in coordinating and contributing to the litigation and advocacy efforts around the Chagos Archipelago dispute, following the 2025 UK–Mauritius Agreement concerning the future of the territory. In this context, she coordinated the litigation campaign of several Chagossian groups before UN human rights mechanisms after the 2025 agreement was signed.
This included work related to an urgent appeal that led to a significant decision by the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) in December 2025 (Decision 1 (2025)). The CERD decision found that aspects of the UK–Mauritius agreement were inconsistent with human rights parameters of decolonisation, and called inter alia on both States to suspend ratification of the agreement and consult the Chagossian community meaningfully. and started campaigning for the Chagossian community in 1995 till now.
,Geneva info@indigenouschagossianp.com
Mr Tobias Noskwith
Mrs Nicole Wüthrich
Treasury
Nicole is a Chagossian descendant and dedicated activist committed to the recognition of the rights of the Chagossian people. Together with her late husband, she worked to unite and organize the community, notably through the 'Comité Suisse Aux Chagossiens.'
They helped bring the voice of the Chagossian people to the United Nations and before the High Court of Justice in London in 2000.
They are also the designers of the Chagossian flag, orange, black, and blue, a symbol of identity and resilience for the Chagossian people.
Mr Jean-Francois Nellan
Member Of ICP
Jean-François Nellan is a descendant of the Chagossian people and the founder of the Derby Chagossian Community. Born in Mauritius in 1984, Jean-François moved to Derby, UK, in 2006.After completing a degree in Accounting and Finance, he began his career as an accountant with Rolls-Royce plc.Jean-François has been a dedicated advocate for the Chagossian community since childhood, campaigning for the Chagossian people's right of return to their homeland and for the recognition of their human rights. He continues the legacy of his great-grandfather and grandparents, who were born on Diego Garcia and whose experiences inspired his commitment to the Chagossian cause.He is also a trustee of the Chagos Conservation Trust, which supports the conservation and protection of the Chagos Archipelago's unique marine environment.His advocacy work includes: •Lobbying MPs to ensure all Chagossian descendants were included in the Nationality and Borders Act 2022•Participating in the 2022 Pan-African Conference in South Africa, where our right to self-determination was recognised•Participating in the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) in New York, April 2023•Participating in EMRIP sessions in Geneva, July 2023, July 2024 and July 2025.•Giving evidence to the Foreign Affairs Select Committee (January 2024)•Giving evidence to the Defence Select Committee in the House of Lords (December 2024).
,London info@indigenouschagossianp.com