INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE
Peace Palace, Carnegieplein 2, 2517 KJ The Hague, Netherlands
Tel.: +31 (0)70 302 2323 Fax: +31 (0)70 364 9928
Website: www.icj-cij.org
Press Release
Unofficial
No. 2000/18
19 June 2000
Armed Activities on the Territory of the Congo
(Democratic Republic of the Congo v. Uganda)
The Democratic Republic of the Congo requests the Court to indicate
provisional measures as a matter of urgency
THE HAGUE, 19 June 2000. Today the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)
requested the International Court of Justice to indicate provisional measures as a matter or urgency
in the case concerning Armed Activities on the Territory of the Congo (Democratic Republic of the
Congo v. Uganda), which it brought to the Court on 23 June 1999 (see Press Communiqués 99/34
of 23 June 1999 and 99/45 of 25 October 1999).
In the request that it filed with the Registry, the DRC states that “since 5June last, the
resumption of fighting between the armed troops of... Uganda and another foreign army has
caused considerable damage to the [DRC] and to its population” while “these tactics have been
unanimously condemned, in particular by the United Nations Security Council”.
The DRC maintains that “despite promises and declarations of principle... Uganda has
pursued its policy of aggression, its brutal armed interventions, its harassment and its looting” and
that “this war that . . . Uganda set off . . . is th e third Kisangani war, after those of August 1999 and
May 2000”. The DRC notes that “these facts cons titute just one further episode testifying to
military and paramilitary intervention and to the o ccupation that the Republic of Uganda started in
August 1998”. It further states that “each passingday inflicts on the Democratic Republic of the
Congo and its inhabitants grave and irreparable prej udice” and that “it is urgent that the rights of
the Democratic Republic of the Congo be guaranteed”.
Accordingly, the DRC requests the Court to indicate the following provisional measures:
“(1) the Government of the Republic of Ug anda must order its army to withdraw
immediately and completely from Kisangani;
(2) the Government of the Republic of Uganda must order its army to cease forthwith
any fighting or military activity in the terr itory of the Democratic Republic of the
Congo and to withdraw immediately and co mpletely from that territory, and must
forthwith desist from supplying any direct or indirect support to any State, group,
organization, movement or individual enga ged or planning to engage in military
actions in the territory of theDemocratic Republic of the Congo; - 2 -
(3) the Government of the Republic of Uganda must take all measures in its power to
ensure that any units, forces or agents actually or potentially coming under its
authority and that enjoy, or might en joy, its support, together with such
organizations or persons as might be under its control, authority or influence, to
desist forthwith from committing or encouraging the commission of war crimes or
any other violence or unlawful act against all persons in the territory of the
Democratic Republic of the Congo;
(4) the Government of the Republic of Ug anda must forthwith discontinue any act
having the aim or effect of interrupting, interfering with or hampering actions
intended to give the population of the occupied zones the benefit of their
fundamental human rights, particularly health and education;
(5) the Government of the Republic of Ug anda must immediately cease any unlawful
working of the natural resources of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and any
unlawful transfer of assets, equipment or persons to its territory;
(6) the Government of the Republic of Uganda must henceforth fully respect the right
possessed by the Democrat ic Republic of the Congo to sovereignty, political
independence and territorial integrity, in addition to the fundamental rights and
freedoms possessed by all persons in the territory of the Democratic Republic of the
Congo.”
The DRC’s request for the indication of provisional measures has immediately been
transmitted to the Government of Uganda. The subsequent procedure has been reserved.
*
coascerning Armed Activities on the Territory of the Congo (Democratic Republic
of the Congo v. Uganda) is currently in the written phase of the proceedings. The DRC is to
submit a Memorial by 21 July 2000 and Uganda a Counter-Memorial by 21 April 2001.
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The full text of the request for the indication of provisional measures of the Democratic
Republic of the Congo will shortly be available on the Court’s website (http://www.icj-cij.org).
___________
Information Department:
Mr. Arthur Witteveen, First Secretary (+ 31 70 302 23 36)
Mrs. Laurence Blairon, Information Officer (+ 31 70 302 23 37)
E-mail address: [email protected]
Armed activities on the territory of the Congo (Democratic Republic of Congo v. Uganda) - The Democratic Republic of the Congo requests the Court to indicate provisional measures as a matter of urgency