Dugasse, 68, has spent most of her life in the Seychelles and the U.K., wondering what it would be like to set foot on the tropical island of Diego Garcia, part of the remote cluster of atolls in the middle of the Indian Ocean called the Chagos Islands.

LONDON (AP) — A British court said Thursday that the U.K. can transfer sovereignty over the contested and strategically located Chagos Islands to Mauritius, overturning a block that was imposed hours before the agreement was due to be signed.

Britain signed an agreement Thursday handing sovereignty over the contested and strategically located Chagos Islands to Mauritius, a move the government said ensures the future of a U.S.-U.K. military base that is vital to British security.