A critical appraisal of Chagos Advisory Opinion rendered by the International Court of Justice

Abstract

The concepts of equal sovereignty and territorial integrity have formed the bedrock of delegitimizing imperial rule. Despite some success of the decolonization movement, colonial rule endures in territories such as the Chagos Islands. The Islands were detached from the colony of Mauritius following an unconsented agreement between the United Kingdom and Mauritius. Later on, the UK engineered the transfer of Diego Garcia – the largest island on the Chagos Archipelago – to the US for the establishment of a military base. In February 2019, the ICJ issued an Advisory Opinion that rendered the continued colonial administration of the Islands by the UK unlawful.