Decolonising International Relations: African Perspectives on Global Justice - The Case of the Gambia in the International Court of Justice.

This paper analyses The Gambia's legal activism at the ICJ as a pivotal case study of decolonising IR in practice. It argues that Gambia's case against Myanmar for alleged genocide against the Rohingya demonstrates how a small African state can avail itself of international legal mechanisms to challenge global power hierarchies and assert a vision of justice rooted in postcolonial solidarity and African philosophical traditions. Going beyond the level of theoretical critique, the paper draws on primary documents of the ICJ and The Gambia's legal submissions to demonstrate a form of "decolonisation-in-action." It examines how The Gambia succeeded in overcoming procedural hurdles, championed the erga omnes partes character of the Genocide Convention, and repurposed the ICJ as a cornerstone of the international system-as an instrument of accountability. While cognizant of resource asymmetry and geopolitical constraints, the study concludes that Gambia's strategic agency constitutes a transformative blueprint of how the Global South states might play the role of active shapers of international norms from within.

Decolonising, International Relations, International Court of Justice

1. Acharya, A., & Buzan, B. (2019). The Making of Global International Relations: Origins and Evolution of IR at its Centenary. Cambridge University Press. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

2. Adi, H. (2018). Pan-Africanism: A History. Bloomsbury Academic. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

3. Akande, D. (2020). The Gambia v. Myanmar: ICJ Orders Provisional Measures to Prevent Genocide. EJIL: Talk! [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

4. Anghie, A. (2005). Imperialism, Sovereignty, and the Making of International Law. Cambridge University Press. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

5. Becker, M. A. (2020). The plight of the Rohingya: Genocide allegations and provisional measures in The Gambia v Myanmar at the International Court of Justice. Melbourne Journal of International Law, 21(2), 428-449. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

6. Cochrane, L., & Fatty, A. (2019). A Gambian perspective on The Gambia v. Myanmar case on the crimes of genocide at the ICJ–Abdoulie Fatty. Nokoko, 1-22. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

7. Cryer, R. (2005). Prosecuting International Crimes: Selectivity and the International Criminal Law Regime. Cambridge University Press. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

8. International Court of Justice. (2022). Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (The Gambia v. Myanmar), Preliminary Objections, Judgment. I.C.J. Reports 2022. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

9. Islam, M. R., & Muquim, N. (2020). The Gambia v. Myanmar at the ICJ: Good Samaritans testing state responsibility for atrocities on the Rohingya. Cal. W. Int'l LJ, 51, 77. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

10. Jeffrey, A. (2023). Geopolitics and genocide: The Gambia vs. Myanmar at the International Court of Justice. Environment and Planning C: Politics and Space, 41(8), 1609-1625. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

11. Kronberga, L. I. (2022). GENOCIDE, STATE RESPONSIBILITY, AND OBLIGATIONS ERGA OMNES IN THE CASE OF THE GAMBIA V. MYANMAR BEFORE THE INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE. Riga Graduate School of Law Research Papers, (26). [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

12. Lauer, H. (2017). Global Justice as Process: Applying Normative Ideals of Indigenous African Governance. Philosophical Papers, 46, 163–189. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

13. Mégret, F. (2018). International Criminal Justice: A Critical Introduction. Cambridge Companion to International Law. Cambridge University Press. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

14. Murithi, T. (2006). Practical Peacemaking Wisdom from Africa: Reflections on Ubuntu. Journal of Pan African Studies, 1(4), 25-34. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

15. Mutua, M. (2000). "What is TWAIL?" Proceedings of the Annual Meeting (American Society of International Law), 94, 31-40. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

16. Pahuja, S. (2011). Decolonising International Law: Development, Economic Growth and the Politics of Universality. Cambridge University Press. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

17. Schmidt, E. (2020). "Decolonising International Law: African Contributions to Global Justice." Journal of Modern African Studies, 58(3), 415-437. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

18. Smith, S. (2020). "Postcolonialism and International Relations." International Studies Quarterly, 64(1), 10-20. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

19. The Gambia. (2021). Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (The Gambia v. Myanmar), Written Observations of The Gambia on the Preliminary Objections Raised by Myanmar. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

20. Vestergaard, J., & Wade, R. (2015). Protecting Power: How Western States Retain The Dominant Voice in The World Bank's Governance. World Development, [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

21. Viljoen, F. (2012). International Human Rights Law in Africa. Oxford University Press. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

• China in South Asia and South America: Connections, Intersections and Similarities
• Prospects and Impediments to China-Africa Sports Cooperation in the Contemporary Era
• Climate - Induced Displacement and its Implications on Human Security: A Case Study of Ghana