ICJ to address Mauritius island dispute
Publish date: 26 June 2017
Issue Number: 731
Diary: IBA Legalbrief Africa
Category: General
A dispute between the UK and Mauritius over disputed island territory in the Indian Ocean is to be referred to the International Court of Justice (ICJ). The UN General Assembly voted by 94 countries to 15 that The Hague should examine the legal status of the Chagos Islands. BBC News reports that the former British colony used to be part of Mauritius but was detached in 1965 and is now home to a US airbase. According to the report, a Foreign Office spokesperson said ‘the sovereignty of the British Indian Ocean Territory is clearly a matter for the UK and Mauritius to resolve ourselves’ and taking the dispute to ICJ is an inappropriate use of the court. Mauritius, which gained independence from Britain in 1968, argues that the UK broke international law when it separated off the islands before granting Mauritius its independence.
