Arrest Warrant of 11 April 2000 (Democratic Republic of the Congo v. Belgium) - Fixing of time-limits for the filing of written pleadings

INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE

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The Hagù.e.Fax: +31 (0)70 364 99 28. Telex: 32323. E-mail address:

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Press Release
Unofficial

No. 2000/41
15 December 2000

Arrest Warrant of 11 April 2000
(Democratie Republic of the Congo v. Belgium)

Fixing of time-limits for the filing ofwritten pleadings

THE HAGUE, 15 December 2000. The President of the International Court of Justice (ICJ),
Judge Gilbert Guillaume, bas ftxed time-limits for the filing of written pleadings in the case

conceming the Arrest Warrant of 11 April2000 (Democratie Republic of the Congo v. Belgium).

By an Order of 13 December 2000, the President, tak.ing into account the agreement of the
Parties, bas fixed15 March 2001 as the time-limit for the filing of a Memorial by the Democratie
Republic of the Congo and 31 May 2001 as the time-limit for the filing of a Counter-Memorial by

Belgium.

As agreed by the Parties at a meeting held on 8 December 2000 between them and the
President, the written pleadings will address bath issuesurisdiction and admissibility and the merits
of the dispute. The subsequent procedure has been reserved for further decision.

History of the proceedings

On 17 October 2000 the Democratie Republic of the Congo (DRC) filed in the Registry an
Application instituting proceedings against Belgium in respect of a dispute concerning an
"international arrest warrant issued on 11 April2000 by a Belgian investigating judge ... against the

Minister for Foreign Affairs in office of the Democratie Republic of the Congo,
Mr. Abdulaye Yerodia Ndombasi [who bas in the meantime ceased to exercise those functions and has
been charged with those of Minister of Education] ... for 'serious violations of international
humanitarian law"'.

On the same day the DRC also filed a request for the indication of a provisional measure, askîng
the Court inter alia ta make an order for the immediate discharge of th.e disputed arrest warrant.
Hearings were held from 20 to 23 November 2000. By an Order of 8 December 2000 the Court
unanimously rejected Belgium's request that the case be removed from the List and found by fifteen
votes to two that the circumstances, as they now presented themselves to it, were not such as to require

the exercise of its power ta indicate provîsional measures, as the DRC bad wished. lt added that "it
[was] desirable that the issues before the Court should be determined as soon as possible" and that "it
[was] therefore appropriate to ensure that a decision on the Congo's Application be reached with all
expedition". '

The full text of the Order will shortly be available on the Court's website at the following
address: http://www .icj-cij.org).

Information Department:
Mr. Arthur Witteveen, First Secretary(+ 31 70 302 23 36)
Mrs. Laurence Blairon, InformationOfficer + 31 70 302 23 37)
E-mai1address: information@icj-cij .org