Ahmadou Sadio Diallo (Republic of Guinea v. Democratic Republic of the Congo)

OVERVIEW OF THE CASE

On 28 December 1998, Guinea filed an Application instituting proceedings against the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in respect of a dispute concerning “serious violations of international law” alleged to have been committed upon the person of Mr. Ahmadou Sadio Diallo, a Guinean national. In its Application, Guinea maintained that

“Mr. Ahmadou Sadio Diallo, a businessman of Guinean nationality, was unjustly imprisoned by the authorities of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, after being resident in that State for thirty-two (32) years, despoiled of his sizable investments, businesses, movable and immovable property and bank accounts, and then expelled.”

Guinea added:

“[t]his expulsion came at a time when Mr. Ahmadou Sadio Diallo was pursuing recovery of substantial debts owed to his businesses [Africom-Zaire and Africontainers-Zaire] by the [Congolese] State and by oil companies established in its territory and of which the State is a shareholder”.

To found the jurisdiction of the Court, Guinea invoked in the Application the declarations whereby the two States have recognized the compulsory jurisdiction of the Court under Article 36, paragraph 2, of the Statute of the Court.

On 3 October 2002, the DRC raised preliminary objections in respect of the admissibility of Guinea’s Application. In its Judgment of 24 May 2007 on these preliminary objections, the Court declared the Application of the Republic of Guinea to be admissible “in so far as it concerns protection of Mr. Diallo’s rights as an individual” and “in so far as it concerns protection of [his] direct rights as associé in Africom-Zaire and Africontainers-Zaire”. However, the Court declared the Application of the Republic of Guinea to be inadmissible “in so far as it concerns protection of Mr. Diallo in respect of alleged violations of rights of Africom-Zaire and Africontainers-Zaire”.

In its Judgment of 30 November 2010 on the merits, the Court found that, in respect of the circumstances in which Mr. Diallo had been expelled on 31 January 1996, the DRC had violated Article 13 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and Article 12, paragraph 4, of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights. The Court also found that, in respect of the circumstances in which Mr. Diallo had been arrested and detained in 1995-1996 with a view to his expulsion, the DRC had violated Article 9, paragraphs 1 and 2, of the Covenant and Article 6 of the African Charter. The Court further decided that “the Democratic Republic of the Congo [was] under obligation to make appropriate reparation, in the form of compensation, to the Republic of Guinea for the injurious consequences of the violations of international obligations referred to in subparagraphs (2) and (3) [of the operative part]”, namely the unlawful arrests, detentions and expulsion of Mr. Diallo. In addition, the Court found that the DRC had violated Mr. Diallo’s rights under Article 36, paragraph 1 (b), of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations. It did not however order the DRC to pay compensation for this violation. In the same Judgment, the Court rejected all other submissions by Guinea relating to the arrests and detentions of Mr. Diallo, including the contention that he had been subjected to treatment prohibited by Article 10, paragraph 1, of the Covenant during his detentions. Furthermore, the Court found that the DRC had not violated Mr. Diallo’s direct rights as an associé in the companies Africom-Zaire and Africontainers-Zaire. Finally, the Court decided, with respect to the question of compensation owed by the DRC to Guinea, that “failing agreement between the Parties on this matter within six months from the date of [the said] Judgment, [this] question . . . shall be settled by the Court”.

The time-limit of six months thus fixed by the Court having expired on 30 May 2011 without an agreement being reached between the Parties on the question of compensation due to Guinea, it fell to the Court to determine the amount of compensation to be awarded to Guinea as a consequence of the unlawful arrests, detentions and expulsion of Mr. Diallo by the DRC, pursuant to the findings of the Court set out in its Judgment of 30 November 2010. By an Order of 20 September 2011, the Court fixed 6 December 2011 and 21 February 2012 as the respective time-limits for the filing of the Memorial of Guinea and the Counter-Memorial of the DRC on the question of compensation due to Guinea. The Memorial and the Counter-Memorial were duly filed within the time-limits thus prescribed. The Court delivered its Judgment on 19 June 2012.

In its Memorial, Guinea valued the mental and moral damage suffered by Mr. Diallo at US$250,000. The Court considered various factors in its assessment of that injury, notably the arbitrary nature of Mr. Diallo’s arrests and detentions, the unjustifiably long period of his detention, the unsubstantiated accusations of which he was the victim, his wrongful expulsion from a country where he had resided for 32 years and where he had engaged in significant business activities and the link between his expulsion and the fact that he had attempted to recover debts which he believed were owed to his companies by the Zairean State or companies in which that State held a substantial portion of the capital. It also took account of the fact that there was no evidence that Mr. Diallo had been mistreated. On the basis of equitable considerations, the Court found that the amount of US$85,000 would provide appropriate compensation for the non-material injury suffered by Mr. Diallo.

Finally, in its Memorial, Guinea valued the loss of earnings suffered by Mr. Diallo during his unlawful detention and following his unlawful expulsion at almost US$6.5 million. The Court ruled that Guinea had failed to prove the existence of any such loss. Consequently, it awarded no compensation on that basis.

The Court concluded that the total sum to be awarded to Guinea was thus US$95,000, to be paid by 31 August 2012. It decided that, should payment be delayed, post-judgment interest on the principal sum due would accrue as from 1 September 2012 at an annual rate of 6 per cent. The Court ruled that each Party would bear its own costs.


This overview is provided for information only and in no way involves the responsibility of the Court.

Institution of proceedings


Written proceedings

23 March 2001
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1 October 2002
Procedure(s):Preliminary objections
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7 July 2003
Procedure(s):Preliminary objections
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27 March 2008
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Reply of the Republic of Guinea (French version only)
19 November 2008
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5 June 2009
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Oral proceedings

Verbatim record 2006/50 (bilingual version)
Public sitting held on Monday 27 November 2006, at 10 a.m., at the Peace Palace, President Higgins presiding
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Translation
(bilingual version) Translation
Verbatim record 2006/51 (bilingual version)
Public sitting held on Tuesday 28 November 2006, at 10 a.m., at the Peace Palace, President Higgins and Vice-President Al-Khasawneh presiding, successively
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Translation
(bilingual version) Translation
Verbatim record 2006/52 (bilingual version)
Public sitting held on Wednesday 29 November 2006, at 3 p.m., at the Peace Palace, President Higgins presiding
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Translation
(bilingual version) Translation
Verbatim record 2006/53 (bilingual version)
Public sitting held on Friday 1 December 2006, at 10 a.m., at the Peace Palace, President Higgins presiding
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Translation
(bilingual version) Translation
Verbatim record 2010/1 (bilingual version)
Public sitting held on Monday 19 April 2010, at 10.50 a.m., at the Peace Palace, President Owada, presiding, in the case concerning Ahmadou Sadio Diallo (Republic of Guinea v. Democratic Republic of the Congo)
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Translation
(bilingual version) Translation
Verbatim record 2010/2 (bilingual version)
Public sitting held on Monday 19 April 2010, at 3 p.m., at the Peace Palace, Vice-President Tomka, Acting President, presiding, in the case concerning Ahmadou Sadio Diallo (Republic of Guinea v. Democratic Republic of the Congo)
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Translation
(bilingual version) Translation
Verbatim record 2010/3 (bilingual version)
Public sitting held on Monday 26 April 2010, at 10 a.m., at the Peace Palace, Vice-President Tomka, Acting President, presiding, in the case concerning Ahmadou Sadio Diallo (Republic of Guinea v. Democratic Republic of the Congo)
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Translation
(bilingual version) Translation
Verbatim record 2010/4 (bilingual version)
Public sitting held on Monday 26 April 2010, at 3 p.m., at the Peace Palace, Vice-President Tomka, Acting President, presiding, in the case concerning Ahmadou Sadio Diallo (Republic of Guinea v. Democratic Republic of the Congo)
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Translation
(bilingual version) Translation
Verbatim record 2010/5 (bilingual version)
Public sitting held on Wednesday 28 April 2010, at 4 p.m., at the Peace Palace, Vice-President Tomka, Acting President, presiding, in the case concerning Ahmadou Sadio Diallo (Republic of Guinea v. Democratic Republic of the Congo)
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Translation
(bilingual version) Translation
Verbatim record 2010/6 (bilingual version)
Public sitting held on Thursday 29 April 2010, at 4 p.m., at the Peace Palace, Vice-President Tomka, Acting President, presiding, in the case concerning Ahmadou Sadio Diallo (Republic of Guinea v. Democratic Republic of the Congo)
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Translation
(bilingual version) Translation

Other documents


Orders

Fixing of time-limits: Memorial and Counter-Memorial
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Extension of time-limits: Memorial and Counter-Memorial
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Fixing of time-limit: Written Statement of observations and submissions on Preliminary Objections
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Fixing of time-limit: Counter-Memorial
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Fixing of time-limits: Reply and Rejoinder
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Fixing of time-limits: Memorial and Counter-Memorial on the question of compensation
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Judgments


Summaries of Judgments and Orders

Summary of the Judgment of 24 May 2007
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Summary of the Judgment of 30 November 2010
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Summary of the Judgment of 19 June 2012
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Press releases

30 December 1998
Guinea brings a case against the Democratic Republic of Congo to the International Court of Justice
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26 November 1999
Ahmadou Sadio Diallo (Republic of Guinea v. Democratic Republic of Congo) - The Court fixes time-limits for the filing of written pleadings
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13 September 2000
Ahmadou Sadio Diallo (Republic of Guinea v. Democratic Republic of Congo) - Extension of the time-limits for the filing of written pleadings
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13 November 2002
Ahmadou Sadio Diallo (Republic of Guinea v. Democratic Republic of Congo) - Fixing of the time-limit for the filing by Guinea of a written statement on the preliminary objections raised by the Congo
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18 July 2006
Ahmadou Sadio Diallo (Republic of Guinea v. Democratic Republic of the Congo) - Preliminary objections - Public hearings to open on Monday 27 November 2006
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9 November 2006
Ahmadou Sadio Diallo (Republic of Guinea v. Democratic Republic of the Congo) - Preliminary objections - Schedule of public hearings to be held from 27 November to 1 December 2006
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1 December 2006
Ahmadou Sadio Diallo (Republic of Guinea v. Democratic Republic of the Congo) - Preliminary Objections - Conclusion of the public hearings on the merits; Court ready to begin its deliberation
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11 May 2007
Ahmadou Sadio Diallo (Republic of Guinea v. Democratic Republic of the Congo) - Preliminary Objections - Court to announce its Judgment on Thursday 24 May 2007 at 10 a.m.
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24 May 2007
Ahmadou Sadio Diallo (Republic of Guinea v. Democratic Republic of the Congo) - Preliminary Objections - The Court declares the Application of the Republic of Guinea admissible in so far as it concerns protection of Mr. Diallo's rights as an individual and of his direct rights as associé in Africom-Zaire and Africontainers-Zaire
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28 June 2007
Ahmadou Sadio Diallo (Republic of Guinea v. Democratic Republic of the Congo) - Fixing of time-limit for the filing of the Counter-Memorial of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
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7 May 2008
Ahmadou Sadio Diallo (Republic of Guinea v. Democratic Republic of the Congo) - The Court authorizes the submission of a Reply by the Republic of Guinea and a Rejoinder by the Democratic Republic of the Congo and fixes the time-limits for the filing of these pleadings
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17 March 2010
Ahmadou Sadio Diallo (Republic of Guinea v. Democratic Republic of the Congo) - The Court to hold public hearings from Monday 19 to Friday 23 April 2010
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20 April 2010
Ahmadou Sadio Diallo (Republic of Guinea v. Democratic Republic of the Congo) - Changes in the schedule of public hearings
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29 April 2010
Ahmadou Sadio Diallo (Republic of Guinea v. Democratic Republic of the Congo) - Conclusion of the public hearings Court begins its deliberation
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18 November 2010
Ahmadou Sadio Diallo (Republic of Guinea v. Democratic Republic of the Congo) - The Court to deliver its Judgment on Tuesday 30 November 2010 at 10 a.m.
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30 November 2010
Ahmadou Sadio Diallo (Republic of Guinea v. Democratic Republic of the Congo) - The Court finds that in carrying out the arrest, detention and expulsion of Mr. Diallo in 1995-1996, the DRC violated his fundamental rights, but that it did not violate his direct rights as “associé” in the companies Africom-Zaire and Africontainers-Zaire
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23 September 2011
Ahmadou Sadio Diallo (Republic of Guinea v. Democratic Republic of the Congo) - Question of compensation - The Court fixes time-limits for the filing of written pleadings
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30 May 2012
Swearing-in of Mr. Bhandari, new Member of the Court - The Court will hold a public sitting on Tuesday 19 June 2012 at 3 p.m. before delivering its Judgment on the question of compensation in the case concerning Ahmadou Sadio Diallo (Republic of Guinea v. Democratic Republic of the Congo)
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30 May 2012
Ahmadou Sadio Diallo (Republic of Guinea v. Democratic Republic of the Congo) - Question of compensation - The Court to deliver its Judgment on Tuesday 19 June 2012 at 3 p.m. - Reading to be broadcast live on the Court’s website
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19 June 2012
Ahmadou Sadio Diallo (Republic of Guinea v. Democratic Republic of the Congo) - (Compensation owed by the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the Republic of Guinea) - The Court decides that the amount of compensation due from the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the Republic of Guinea for the injury suffered by Mr. Diallo is US$95,000
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