COUR INTERNATIONALE DE JUSTICE
RECUEIL DES ARRÊTS,
AVIS CONSULTATIFS ETORDONNANCES
DEMANDE EN INTERPRÉTATION
DE L'ARRÊT DU 11JUIN 1998EN L'AFFAIRE
DE LA FRONTIÈRE TERRESTRE ET MARITIME
ENTRE LE CAMEROUN ET LE NIGÉRIA
(CAMEROUN c. NIGÉRIA),
EXCEPTIONS PRÉLIMINAIRES
ARRÊT DU 25 MAR1999
INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE
REPORTS OF JUDGMENTS,
ADVISORY OPINIONS AND ORDERS
REQUEST FOR INTERPRETATION OF THE
JUDGMENT OF 11JUNE 1998IN THE CASE
CONCERNING THE LAND AND MARITIME
BOUNDAR Y BETWEEN CAMEROON AND
NIGERIA (CAMEROON v. NIGERIA),
PRELIMINAR Y OBJECTIONS
(NIGERIY.CAMEROON)
JUDGMENT OF 25 MARC1999 Mode officiel de citation:
Demande en interprétation de l'arrêtdu 11 juin 1998 en l'affaire de la
Frontière terrestre et maritime entre le Cameroun et le Nigéria(Came-
roun c. Nigéria), eC.I.J. Recueil 1p. 31es c. Cameroun), arrêt,
Officia1citat:on
Request for Interpretation of the Judgment of 11 June 1998 in the Case
concerning thLand and Maritime Boundary between Cameroon and
Nigeria (Cameroon), Judgment, I.C.J. Reports p. 31igeriav.
i~hvenîe: 723 1
ISSN 0074-4441 Sales number
ISBN 92-1-070792-3 25 MARS 1999
ARRÊT
DEMANDE EN INTERPRÉTATION DE L'ARRÊT
DU 11JUIN 1998EN L'AFFAIRE DE LA FRONTIERE
TERRESTRE ET MARITIME ENTRE LE CAMEROUN
ET LE NIGERIA (CAMEROUN c.NIGERIA),
EXCEPTIONS PRÉLIMINA IRES
REQUEST FOR INTERPRETATION
OF THEJUDGMENT OF 11JUNE 1998IN THE CASE
CONCERNING THE LAND AND MARITIME BOUNDARY
BETWEEN CAMEROON AND NIGERIA
(CAMEROON v.NIGERIA),PRELIMINAR Y OBJECTIONS
(NIGERIA v.CAMEROON)
25 MARCH 1999
JUDGMENT INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE
YEAR 1999 1999
25 March
General List
25 March1999 No. 101
REQUEST FOR INTERPRETATION OF THE
JUDGMENT OF 11JUNE 1998IN THE CASE
CONCERNING THE LAND AND MARITIME
BOUNDAR Y BETWEEN CAMEROON AND
NIGERIA (CAMEROON v. NIGERIA),
PRELIMINAR Y OBJECTIONS
(NIGERIA v.CAMEROON)
Article 60 of the Statut- Jurisdiction of the Court to entertain a request
for interpretation of ajudgment onpreliminary objection- Request can relate
only to the operative prrrt of thejudgment and to reasons inseparable therefionz.
Admissihility of'the request for interpretation:
Need to uvoid impairing the jînality of the judgigmentto he interpreted or
delaying implementution tlzereof- Primacy of the principle of res judicata.
Judgment ofII June 1998 - Rejection of Nigeria's sisth prelinzinury ohjec-
rion - Question of the conditions for udmissibility of an application at the tirne
of its introduction, and the question of'the admissihility qf the presentation of
udditional fucts utzdlegul ground- Principle that the,f'reedomto present addi-
tioncrlfucts und legrrlconsiderutions not included in the application is suhject to
the limitation thcrt the dispute nzust not be transfor-ed Finding that Cam-
eroon Ilad not so transformed the dispute- Additionul "incidents" und uddi-
tional '~f'uc-'' Principle ($audi alteram partem.
Subrnissions uf the requcst already considered und rejected in the Judofent
II June 1998 - Suhrnissions seeking to remove,from the Court's considerution
elenwrztsof,fact andlaitthe presentation of'~ihichhas ulreudy heen uuthorized
bjs that Judgment. or 1ilhic.1h1ave not yet been put ,fi)ri.i.cird.
Costs - Articles 64 oj'the Stutute und 97 qf the Rul-s Generul rule that
eacli part!, .slzullhear its oiix costs. JUDGMENT
Present: President SCHWEBEL V;ice-President WEERAMANTRJY u;ges ODA,
BEDJAOUI, GUILLAUMER ,ANJEVAH , ERCZEGH,SHI, FLEISCHHAUEK,
KOKOMA, VERESHCHETIH NI,GGINS, ARKA-ARANGURK ENO,OIJMANS;
Judges ad hoc MBAYEA , JIBOLAR;egistrar VALENCIA-OSPINA.
In the case concerning the request for interpretation of the Judgment of
11June 1998,
the Federal Republic of Nigeria,
represented by
H.E. Mr. Alhaji Abdullahi Ibrahim, SAN, OFR, Honourable Attorney-
General of the Federation and Minister of Justice,
as Agent,
and
the Republic of Cameroon,
represented by
H.E. Mr. Laurent Esso, Minister of Justice, Keeper of the Seals,
as Agent;
Mr. Maurice Kamto, Professor at the University of YaoundéI, Member of
the Paris Bar,
Mr. Peter Ntamark, Professor of Law at the Faculty of Laws and Political
Science,University of Yaoundé II, Barrister-at-Law, member of the Inner
Temple,
as Co-Agents;
Mr. Alain Pellet, Professor at the University of Paris X-Nanterre and at
the Institut d'études politiques, Paris,
as Deputy-Agent.
composed as above,
after deliberation,
delivers thefollowing Judgment:
1. On 28 October 1998,the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria
(hereinafteralled "Nigeria") filed in the Registry of the Court an Application
instituting proceedings dated October 1998,whereby, referring to Article 98
of the Rules of Court, it requested the Court to interpret the Judgment
delivered by the Court on 11 June 1998 in the case concerning thend und
Maritime Boundury hetiveen Cameroun and Nigeria (Cameroon v. Nigeriu).
Prelinzinary objection.^. 2. Pursuant to Article 40, paragraph 2, of the Statute, the Application was
forthwith communicated to the Government of the Republic of Cameroon
(hereinafter called "Cameroon") by the Deputy-Registrar. At the same time,
the Parties were informed that the senior judge, acting pursuant to Articles 13,
paragraph 3, and 98, paragraph 3, of the Rules of Court. had fixed3 December
1998 as the time-limit for Cameroon to submit its written observations on
Nigeria's request for interpretation.
3. Pursuant to Article 40. paragraph 3, of the Statute, al1States entitled to
appear before the Court were informed of the Application.
4. On 13 November 1998, within the time-limit fixed, the Government of
Cameroon filed inthe Registry its written observations on the Nigerian request.
5. In light of the dossier thus submitted to it, the Court, considering that it
had sufficient information on the positions of the Parties, did not deem it
necessary to invite them "to furnish further written or oral explanations", as
Article 98, paragraph 4, of the Rules allows it to do.
6. Since the Court included upon the Bench no judge of the nationality of
the Parties, each of them availed itself ofthe right conferred by Article 31,ra-
graph 3. of the Statute to proceed to choose a judge (idhoc to sit in the case:
Nigeria chose Mr. Bola Ajibola and Cameroon Mr. KébaMbaye.
7. In the course of the proceedings the Parties presented the following sub-
missions :
On hehcrif'oJ 'igeriu:
in the Application
"On the basis of the foregoing considerations. Nigeria requests the
Court to adjudge and declare that the Court's Judgment of 11June 1998is
to be interpreted as meaning that:
so far as concerns the international responsibility which Nigeria is said
to bear for certain alleged incidents:
lu) the dispute before the Court does not include any alleged incidents
other than (at most) those specified in Cameroon's Application of
29 March 1994and Additional Application of 6 June 1994;
(b) Cameroon's freedom to present additional facts and legal consid-
erations relates (at most) only to those specified in Cameroon's
Application of 29 March 1994 and Additional Application of
6 June 1994; and
(c) the question whether facts alleged by Cameroon are established or
not relates (at most) only tothose specified inCameroon's Applica-
tion of 29 March 1994and Additional Application of 6 June 1994.''
On hrhulf of'Curneroon :
in the written observations:
"On these grounds,
Having regard to the request for interpretation submitted by the Federal
Republic of Nigeria dated 21 October 1998, the Republic of Cameroon
makes the following submissions: 1. The Republicof Cameroon leavesit to the Court to decidewhetherit
hasjurisdictionto rule on a request forinterpretation of a decisionhanded
down following incidental proceedings and, in particular, with regard to a
judgment concerning the preliminary objections raised by the defending
Party;
2. The Republic of Cameroon requests theCourt:
- Primarily:
To declarethe requestby the Federal Republicof Nigeria inadmissible;
to adjudgeand declarethat there isno reason to interpret the Judgment of
11 June 1998 ;
Altrrnatively;
To adjudge and declare that the Republic of Cameroon is entitled to
rely on al1facts, irrespectiveof their date, that go to establish thecontinu-
ing violationby Nigeria of its international obligations; that the Republic
of Cameroon may also rely on such facts to enable an assessmentto be
made of the damage it has sufferedand the adequate reparation that isdue
to it."
8. The Court will first address the question of its jurisdiction over the
request for interpretation submitted by Nigeria. Nigeria States that, in the
case concerning the Land und Maritime Boundary bet~veen Cameroon
and Nigrriu, Cameroon alleged that Nigeria bore international responsi-
bility "for certain incidents said to have occurred at various places at
Bakassi and Lake Chad and along the length of the frontier between
those two regions". Cameroon is also said to have "made allegations
involving a number of such incidents in its Application of 29 March
1994, its Additional Application of 6 June 1994, its Observations of
30 April 1996 . . . and during the oral hearings held from 2 to 11 March
1998". According to Nigeria, Cameroon had "also said that [it]would be
able to provide information as to other incidents on some unspecified
future occasion". Nigeria contends that the Court's Judgment of 1IJune
1998 does not specify "which of these alleged incidents are to be consid-
ered further as part of the merits of the case". Thus Nigeria maintains
that the Judgment "is unclear [as to] whether Cameroon was entitled at
various times, after the submission of its Amended Application, to bring
before the Court new incidents".
Nigeria further emphasizes "the inadmissibility of treating as part of
the dispute brought before the Court by the Applications of March
and June 1994 alleged incidents occurring subsequently to June 1994".
Cameroon, it is said, is entitled in this case to submit, in due course, only
"additional facts in amplification of incidents previously adverted to" ; it
was not entitled to submit "entirely new and discrete incidents which are
made the subject of new claims of responsibility". The Judgment of
11 June 1998was accordingly to be interpreted as meaning "that so far as
concerns the international responsibility [of] Nigeria . . . the disputebefore the Court does not include any alleged incidents other than (at
most) those specifiedin [the]Application ...and Additional Application".
9. For its part, Cameroon recalls in its written observations on
Nigeria's request for interpretation that, in its Judgment of 11June 1998,
the Court rejected sevenof the preliminary objections of lack ofjurisdic-
tion and inadmissibility raised by Nigeria and stated that, in the circum-
stances of the case, the eighth objection was not of an exclusively pre-
liminary character; in that Judgment,the Court further recognized that it
had jurisdiction to adjudicate upon the dispute and found that the Appli-
cation filed bythe Republic of Cameroon on 29 March 1994,as amended
by the Additional Application of 6 June 1994,was admissible. Cameroon
declares that the Parties "do not have to 'apply' such a judgment; they
only have to take note of it". While leaving the question to the apprecia-
tion of the Court. it states that "there are very serious doubts about the
possibility of bringing a request for interpretation of ajudgment concern-
ing preliminary objections".
10. Article 60 of the Statute provides: "The judgment is final and
without appeal. In the event of dispute asto the meaning or scope of the
judgment, the Court shall construe it upon the request of any party."
This provision is supplemented by Article 98 of the Rules of Court,
paragraph 1of which provides: "ln the event of disputeas to the mean-
ing or scopeof ajudgment any party may make a request for its interpre-
tation .. ."
By virtue of the second sentence of Article 60, the Court has jurisdic-
tion to entertain requests for interpretation of any judgment rendered by
it. This provision makes no distinction as to the type of judgment con-
cerned. It follows, therefore, that a judgment on preliminary objections,
just as well as ajudgment on the merits, can be the object of a request for
interpretation. However,
"the second sentence of Article 60 was inserted in order, if necessary,
to enable the Court to make quite clear the points which had been
settled with binding force in ajudgment, . ..a request which has not
that object does not come within the terms of this provision" (Inter-
prrtution of Judgrnc~iltsNos. 7 und 8 (Facto- ut Chorzott,), Jur/g-
nlerrt No. //, 1927, P.C./. J.,S~lrie.~il.No. 13, p. 11).
In consequence, any request for interpretation must relate to the opera-
tive part of the judgment and cannot concern the reasons for the judg-
ment except in so far as these are inseparable from the operative part.
11. In the case concerning the Lund und Maritirne Bourzdurjl betli-c~rrz
Caineroon and Nigeriu, Nigeria had put forward a sixth preliminary
objection "to the effect that there is no basis for a judicial determinationthat Nigeria bears international responsibility for alleged frontier incur-
sions". In its Judgment of II June, the Court summarized Nigeria's posi-
tion on this point:
"Nigeria contends that the submissions of Cameroon do not meet
the standards required by Article 38 of the Rules of Court and
general principles of law regarding the adequate presentation of
facts ... [Wlhat Cameroon has presented to the Court does not give
Nigeria the knowledge which it needs . . .Similarly, in Nigeria's
view, the material submitted is so sparse that it does not enable the
Court to carry out fair and effectivejudicial determination . . While
Nigeria acknowledge[d] that a State has some latitude in expand-
ing later what it ha[d] said in its Application and in its Memorial,
Cameroon [was] said to be essentially restricted in its elaboration
to the case as presented in its Application." (Z.C.J. Reports 1998,
p. 317, para. 96.)
In the operative part of its Judgment of 11 June 1998, the Court
"[r]ejects the sixth preliminary objection". The reasons for this are set
out in paragraphs 98 to 101 of the Judgment. These deal in detail with
Cameroon's rights as regards the presentation of "facts and legal consid-
erations" that it might wish to put forward in support of its submissions
seeking a ruling against Nigeria (ihid p.,318, para. 99). These reasons
are inseparable from the operative part of the Judgment and in this
regard the request therefore meets the conditions laid down by Article 60
of the Statute in order for the Court to have jurisdiction to entertain a
request for interpretation of a judgment.
12. The Court will now examine the admissibility of the request of
Nigeria. The question of the admissibility of requests for interpretation
of the Court's judgments needs particular attention because of the need
to avoid impairing the finality, and delaying the implementation, of these
judgments. It is not without reason that Article 60 of the Statute lays
down, in the first place, that judgments are "final and without appeal".
Thereafter, the Article provides that in the case of a "dispute as to the
meaning or scope of the judgment", it shall be construed by the Court
upon the request of any Party. The language and structure of Article 60
reflect the primacy of the principle ofresjudicutu. That principle must be
maintained. The Court adheres to what it has previously held, namely
that
"[tlhe real purpose of the request must be to obtain an interpretation
of thejudgment. This signifiesthat its object must be solelyto obtain
clarification of the meaning and the scope of what the Court has
decided with binding force, and not to obtain an answer to questions
not so decided. Any other construction of Article 60 of the Statute would nullify the provision of the article that the judgment is final
and without appeal." (Request for lnterpretution oj'the Judgrnent qf
20 Novenîber 1950 in the Asylum Cuse, Judgment, I.C.J. Reports
1950, p. 402.)
In its Judgment on the Applicutionfor Revision und Interpretution of the
Judgment of 24 Fehruary 1982 in the Case cotzcerning tlze Continental
Shelf (TunisiaILibyan Arab Jamahiriya) (Tunisiu v. Lib),un Arab Jan~tr-
hiriyaj, the Court similarly held that
"[ilt is however a condition of admissibility of a request for interpre-
tation . . that the real purpose of the request be to obtain an inter-
pretation - a clarification of that meaning and scope (IC. J. Reports
1985, p. 223, para. 56)".
13. In the present case, the Court would initially recall what were
Cameroon's submissions with regard to the alleged frontier incidents in
the caseconcerning the Land und Maritime Boundary hetiveen Cameroon
und Nigeria. In its Application as amended by its Additional Applica-
tion, Cameroon complained in 1994"of grave and repeated incursions of
Nigerian groups and armed forces into Cameroonian territory al1along
the frontier between the two countries". It further requested the Court to
adjudge that the "internationally unlawful acts" alleged to have occurred
in the Bakassi and Lake Chad regions involve the responsibility of
Nigeria.
In its Memorial of 16March 1995,Cameroon developed these submis-
sions by emphasizing that, as a result of the "internationally unlawful
acts" set out in pages 561 to 648 of the Memorial, Nigeria had incurred
international responsibility. This document dealt not only with incidents
in the Bakassi and Lake Chad regions, but also with those in other
frontier areas and in particular at Tipsan. Then, in its observations
of 30 April 1996. Cameroon confirmed its previous submissions and in
Annex 1 to those observations listed incidents relating to 42 localities
situated along the length of the frontier. Someof the incidents mentioned
in Cameroon's Memorial and observations had occurred afterthe date of
the Additional Application.
14. To these submissions, Nigeria raised its sixth objection to admis-
sibility. It argued that Cameroon's initial Application as amended
restricted itself to vague allegations as to "the dates, circumstances and
precise locations of the alleged incursions and incidents". It added that
this Application "made no claim as to Nigeria's international responsi-
bility in relation to acts occurring outside Bakassi and Lake Chad". It
considered that Cameroon must "essentially confine itself to the facts .. .
presented in its Application". From this it concluded that any subsequent
attempt to enlarge the scope of the casewas inadmissible and that "addi-
tions" presented subsequently with a viewto establishing Nigeria's respon-
sibility must be disregarded. REQUEST FOR INTERPRETATION (JUDGMENT) 38
15. By its Judgment of Il June 1998,the Court rejected Nigeria's sixth
preliminary objection. The Court explained that "[tlhe decision on
Nigeria's sixth preliminary objection hinges upon the questionof whether
the requirements which an application must meet and which are set out in
Article 38, paragraph 2, of the Rules of Court are met" (I.C.J. Reports
1998, p. 318,para. 98). TheCourt added that the term "succinct" used in
Article 38, paragraph 2, of the Rules ("[the Application] shall also specify
the precise nature of the claim, together with a succinct statement of the
facts and grounds on which the claim is based") does not mean "com-
plete" and does not preclude later additions to the statement of the facts
and grounds on which the claim is based. The Court also found that the
latitude of an applicant State, in developing what it has said in its appli-
cation, is not strictly limited, as suggested by Nigeria. The Court under-
lined, inter aliu, that that conclusion cannot be drawn from the Court's
pronouncement on the importance of the point of time of the submission
of the application as the critical date for the determination of its admis-
sibility as "these pronouncements do not refer to the content of applica-
tions (Questions of Interpretation and Application of the 1971 Montreal
Conv~nrionurisingfrom the Aerial Incident ar Lockerbie (Libyan Aruh
Jumalziriya v. United Kingdom), Prelinlinury Objections, Judgrnent, I. C.J
Reports 1998, p. 26, para. 44;and Questions of Interpretation und Appli-
cation of the 1971 Montreal Convention arisingfrom the Aerial Incident
at Lockerbie (Libyan Arab Jamahiriya v. United Stutes of Amrrica),
Prelitninury Objc.>ctions,Judgment, 1.C.J. Reports 1998, p. 130,
para. 43)" (ibid., p. 318, para. 99). The Court wishes to reiterate that the
question of the conditions for the admissibility of an application at the
time of its introduction, and the question of the admissibility of the
presentation of additional facts and legalgrounds, are two different things.
TheCourt indicated, in its Judgment of 11June 1998,that the limit of the
freedom to present additional facts and legal considerations is that there
must be no transformation of the dispute brought before the Court by
the application into another dispute which is different in character.
Whether that is the case ultimately has to be decided by the Court in each
individual case in which the question arises. With regard to Nigeria's
sixth preliminary objection, the Judgment of 11June 1998has concluded
that "[iln this case, Cameroon has not so transformed the dispute" (ihid.,
p. 319,para. 100)and that Cameroon's Application met the requirements
of Article 38 of the Rules. Thus, the Court made no distinction between
"incidents" and "facts"; it found that additional incidents constitute
additional facts, and that their introduction in proceedings before the
Court is governed by the same rules. In this respect, there is no need for
the Court to stress that it has and will strictly apply the principle of audi
altcrarn partem.
16. It follows from the foregoing that the Court has already clearly
dealt with and rejected, in its Judgment of 1 I June 1998,the first of the
three submissions presented by Nigeria at the end of its request for inter-
pretation, namely that : "(a) the dispute before the Court does not include any alleged inci-
dents other than (at most) those specified in Cameroon's
Application of 29 March 1994 and Additional Application of
6 June 1994".
The Court would therefore be unable to entertain this first submission
without calling into question the effect of the Judgment concerned as rrs
judic-ata.The two other submissions, namely that:
"(b) Cameroon's freedom to present additional facts and legal
considerations relates (at most) only to those specified in
Cameroon's Application of 29 March 1994 and Additional
Application of 6 June 1994",
and that :
"(c) the question whether facts alleged by Cameroon are estab-
lished or not relates (at most) only to those specified in
Cameroon's Application of 29 March 1994 and Additional
Application of 6 June 1994",
endeavour to remove from the Court's consideration elements of law and
fact which it has, in its Judgment of 11 June 1998, already authorized
Cameroon to present, or which Cameroon has not yet put forward. In
either case, the Court would be unable to entertain these submissions.
It follows from the foregoing that Nigeria's request for interpretation
is inadmissible.
17. In view of the conclusions it has reached above, there is no need
for the Court to examine whether there is, between the Parties, a "dispute
as to the meaning or scope of the judgment" of 11June 1998,as contem-
plated by Article 60 of the Statute.
18. In its written observations, Cameroon seeks not only to have the
Court declare Nigeria's request for interpretation inadmissible, it also
requests that, in conformity with Article 97 of the Rules, Nigeria be
charged with the additional costs caused to Cameroon by Nigeria's
request.
Article 64 of the Statute provides that "[u]nless otherwise decided by
the Court, each party shall bear its own costs". This provision is given
effect by Article 97 of the Rules of Court. While anticipating the possi- REQUEST FOR INTERPRETATION (JUDGMENT) 40
bility of exceptions, in circumstances which it does not specify, Article 64
confirms the
"basic principle regarding the question of costs in contentious pro-
ceedings before international tribunals,to the effect that each party
shall bear its own" (ApplicutionfOr Revieiv of Judgement No. 158 of
the United Nations Administrative Tribunal, Advisory Opinion, I.C.J.
Reports 1973, p.212, para. 98).
TheCourt sees no reason to depart in the present case from the general
rule set forth in Article 64 of the Statute.
19. For these reasons,
(1) By thirteen votes to three,
Drclures inadmissible the request for interpretation of the Judgment of
11 June 1998 in the case concerning the Lund und Maritime Boundury
betli-een Cumeroon und Nigeria (Cumeroon v. Nigeriu), Preliminuiy
Objections, presented by Nigeria on 28 October 1998;
IN FAVOUR :PresidentSchwebel;Judges Oda, Bedjaoui,Guillaume, Ranjeva,
Herczegh, Shi, Fleischhauer, Vereshchetin, HigginsP , arra-Aranguren,
Kooijmans; Judge ad hoc Mbaye;
AGAINSV Ti:ce-PresidentWeeramantry;JudgeKoroma; Judgead hocAjibola.
(2) Unanimously,
Rejects Cameroon's request that Nigeria bear the additional costs
caused to Cameroon by the above-mentioned request for interpretation.
Done in French and in English, the French text being authoritative,
at the Peace Palace, The Hague. this twenty-fifth day of March, one
thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine, in three copies, one of which
will be placed in the archives of the Court and the others transmitted to
the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Government
of the Republic of Cameroon respectively.
(Signed) Stephen M. SCHWEBEL,
President.
(Signed) Eduardo VALENCIA-OSPINA,
Registrar. REQUEST FOR INTERPRETATION (JUDGMENT) 41
Vice-President WEERAMANTRJu,dge KOROMAa ,nd Judgead hoc
AJIBOLAappend dissenting opinions to the Judgment of the Court.
(InifiullS.)M.S.
(InitiallE.).O.
COUR INTERNATIONALE DE JUSTICE
RECUEIL DES ARRÊTS,
AVIS CONSULTATIFS ETORDONNANCES
DEMANDE EN INTERPRÉTATION
DE L'ARRÊT DU 11JUIN 1998EN L'AFFAIRE
DE LA FRONTIÈRE TERRESTRE ET MARITIME
ENTRE LE CAMEROUN ET LE NIGÉRIA
(CAMEROUN c. NIGÉRIA),
EXCEPTIONS PRÉLIMINAIRES
ARRÊT DU 25 MAR1999
INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE
REPORTS OF JUDGMENTS,
ADVISORY OPINIONS AND ORDERS
REQUEST FOR INTERPRETATION OF THE
JUDGMENT OF 11JUNE 1998IN THE CASE
CONCERNING THE LAND AND MARITIME
BOUNDAR Y BETWEEN CAMEROON AND
NIGERIA (CAMEROON v. NIGERIA),
PRELIMINAR Y OBJECTIONS
(NIGERIY.CAMEROON)
JUDGMENT OF 25 MARC1999 Mode officiel de citation:
Demande en interprétation de l'arrêtdu 11 juin 1998 en l'affaire de la
Frontière terrestre et maritime entre le Cameroun et le Nigéria(Came-
roun c. Nigéria), eC.I.J. Recueil 1p. 31es c. Cameroun), arrêt,
Officia1citat:on
Request for Interpretation of the Judgment of 11 June 1998 in the Case
concerning thLand and Maritime Boundary between Cameroon and
Nigeria (Cameroon), Judgment, I.C.J. Reports p. 31igeriav.
i~hvenîe: 723 1
ISSN 0074-4441 Sales number
ISBN 92-1-070792-3 25 MARS 1999
ARRÊT
DEMANDE EN INTERPRÉTATION DE L'ARRÊT
DU 11JUIN 1998EN L'AFFAIRE DE LA FRONTIERE
TERRESTRE ET MARITIME ENTRE LE CAMEROUN
ET LE NIGERIA (CAMEROUN c.NIGERIA),
EXCEPTIONS PRÉLIMINA IRES
REQUEST FOR INTERPRETATION
OF THEJUDGMENT OF 11JUNE 1998IN THE CASE
CONCERNING THE LAND AND MARITIME BOUNDARY
BETWEEN CAMEROON AND NIGERIA
(CAMEROON v.NIGERIA),PRELIMINAR Y OBJECTIONS
(NIGERIA v.CAMEROON)
25 MARCH 1999
JUDGMENT COUR INTERNATIONALE DE JUSTICE
1999 ANNÉE 1999
25 mars
Rôle général
no 101 25 mars 1999
DEMANDE EN INTERPRÉTATION
DE L'ARRÊT DU 11 JUIN 1998EN L'AFFAIRE
DE LA FRONTIÈRE TERRESTRE ET MARITIME
ENTRE LE CAMEROUN ET LE NIGÉRIA
(CAMEROUN C. NIGÉRIA),
EXCEPTIONS PRÉLIMINAIRES
(NIGÉRIA c. CAMEROUN)
Article 60 du Statu- Compétencede la Courpour connaître d'une dernande
en interprétation d'un arrêtprononcé sur des exceptions préliminaires-
Denlande ne pouvant porter que sur le dispositif de l'arrêt etsur les motifs qui
en sont inséparables.
Recevabilitéde lu demande en interprétation;
Nécessitéde ne pcis porter atteinte au caractère définitif deùlinter-
prétcr et de ne pus en retarder I'eséc-tiPrimuutédu principe de l'autorité
de /u chosejugée.
Arrgt du 11juin 1998- Rejet de la sixième exception préliminairedu Nigé-
ria - Question des conditions dont dépendla recevabilitéd'une requétea la
date du dépôt de celle-ci et question de la recevabilité deI'e- poséde faits ef
moyens supp1émentaire.- Principe selon lequel lu libertéde présenterdes élé-
ment.~de,fuit et de droit non inr.1u.rdans la requête trouvesa limite dans I'exi-
genre que le différend ne soit pas transform- Décision quele Cameroun
n'avait pus opéréune telle tran.formution du clifféd ((Incidents)) supplé-
mentaires et«,/ui/.s».supplémenta-rePrincipe du respect du caractère contra-
dictoire de la procédure.
Conclusions de la clernandedéjùexaminéeset rcijetéesdans I'urr@tdu Il juin
1998 - Conclusions tendanù soustrairù I'e.~arnedela Cour des élémentsde
fait et de droit dont laprésentation adQÙétéautovpur cet urrtt ou qui n'ont
pus encore étéprésentés.
Dépens- article^ 64 du StatuY7edu Rkglement - Rkgle généralesuii~ant
luquelle chacune des purtic~ssupporte ses propres ,frais. INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE
YEAR 1999 1999
25 March
General List
25 March1999 No. 101
REQUEST FOR INTERPRETATION OF THE
JUDGMENT OF 11JUNE 1998IN THE CASE
CONCERNING THE LAND AND MARITIME
BOUNDAR Y BETWEEN CAMEROON AND
NIGERIA (CAMEROON v. NIGERIA),
PRELIMINAR Y OBJECTIONS
(NIGERIA v.CAMEROON)
Article 60 of the Statut- Jurisdiction of the Court to entertain a request
for interpretation of ajudgment onpreliminary objection- Request can relate
only to the operative prrrt of thejudgment and to reasons inseparable therefionz.
Admissihility of'the request for interpretation:
Need to uvoid impairing the jînality of the judgigmentto he interpreted or
delaying implementution tlzereof- Primacy of the principle of res judicata.
Judgment ofII June 1998 - Rejection of Nigeria's sisth prelinzinury ohjec-
rion - Question of the conditions for udmissibility of an application at the tirne
of its introduction, and the question of'the admissihility qf the presentation of
udditional fucts utzdlegul ground- Principle that the,f'reedomto present addi-
tioncrlfucts und legrrlconsiderutions not included in the application is suhject to
the limitation thcrt the dispute nzust not be transfor-ed Finding that Cam-
eroon Ilad not so transformed the dispute- Additionul "incidents" und uddi-
tional '~f'uc-'' Principle ($audi alteram partem.
Subrnissions uf the requcst already considered und rejected in the Judofent
II June 1998 - Suhrnissions seeking to remove,from the Court's considerution
elenwrztsof,fact andlaitthe presentation of'~ihichhas ulreudy heen uuthorized
bjs that Judgment. or 1ilhic.1h1ave not yet been put ,fi)ri.i.cird.
Costs - Articles 64 oj'the Stutute und 97 qf the Rul-s Generul rule that
eacli part!, .slzullhear its oiix costs. DEMANDE EN INTERPRÉTATION (ARRÊT)
Présents: M. SCHWEBELp,résident; M. WEERAMANTRY vi,ce-président;
MM. ODA, BEDJAOUI, GUILLAUMER ,ANJEVA,HERCZEGH S,HI,
FLEISCHHAUE KO,ROMA V,ERESHCHETIN,MmeHIGGINSM , M. PARRA-
ARANGUREK NO, O~JMANS,~UM ~~S;. MBAYEA,JIBOLA ju,ges ad hoc;
M. VALENCIA-OSPINA, gref$er.
En l'affaire de la demande en interprétation de l'arrêtdu 1l juin 1998,
entre
la Républiquefédéraledu Nigéria,
représentéepar
S. Exc. l'honorablelhaji Abdullahi Ibrahim, SAN, OFR, Attorney-General
de la Fédérationet ministre de la justice,
comme agent,
la Républiquedu Cameroun,
représentéepar
S. Exc. M. Laurent Esso, ministre de la justice, garde des sceaux,
comme agent;
M. Maurice Kamto, professeur à l'universitéde Yaoundé II, avocat au bar-
reau de Paris,
M. Peter Ntamark, professeur de droit à la facultéde droit et de science poli-
tique del'universitéde Yaoundé II, Barrister-ut-Law, membre de I'Inner
Temple,
comme coagents;
M. Alain Pellet, professeurl'université deParis X-Nanterre eàl'Institut
d'études politiquesde Paris,
comme agent adjoint,
ainsi composée,
après délibéré enhambre du conseil,
rend l'arrêtsuivant
1. Le 28 octobre 1998,le Gouvernement de la Républiquefédéraledu Nigé-
ria (dénommée ci-aprèsle ((Nigérian) a déposéau Greffe de la Cour une
requête introductive d'instancedatéedu 21 octobre 1998,par laquelle, se réfé-
rant àl'article 98du Règlement, ilpriait la Cour d'interpréter l'arruarrendp
elle le Il juin 1998 en l'affaire de la Frontière terrestre et maritime entre le
Cameroun et le Nigéria (Cameroun c. Nigéria), e.uceptionspréliminaires. JUDGMENT
Present: President SCHWEBEL V;ice-President WEERAMANTRJY u;ges ODA,
BEDJAOUI, GUILLAUMER ,ANJEVAH , ERCZEGH,SHI, FLEISCHHAUEK,
KOKOMA, VERESHCHETIH NI,GGINS, ARKA-ARANGURK ENO,OIJMANS;
Judges ad hoc MBAYEA , JIBOLAR;egistrar VALENCIA-OSPINA.
In the case concerning the request for interpretation of the Judgment of
11June 1998,
the Federal Republic of Nigeria,
represented by
H.E. Mr. Alhaji Abdullahi Ibrahim, SAN, OFR, Honourable Attorney-
General of the Federation and Minister of Justice,
as Agent,
and
the Republic of Cameroon,
represented by
H.E. Mr. Laurent Esso, Minister of Justice, Keeper of the Seals,
as Agent;
Mr. Maurice Kamto, Professor at the University of YaoundéI, Member of
the Paris Bar,
Mr. Peter Ntamark, Professor of Law at the Faculty of Laws and Political
Science,University of Yaoundé II, Barrister-at-Law, member of the Inner
Temple,
as Co-Agents;
Mr. Alain Pellet, Professor at the University of Paris X-Nanterre and at
the Institut d'études politiques, Paris,
as Deputy-Agent.
composed as above,
after deliberation,
delivers thefollowing Judgment:
1. On 28 October 1998,the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria
(hereinafteralled "Nigeria") filed in the Registry of the Court an Application
instituting proceedings dated October 1998,whereby, referring to Article 98
of the Rules of Court, it requested the Court to interpret the Judgment
delivered by the Court on 11 June 1998 in the case concerning thend und
Maritime Boundury hetiveen Cameroun and Nigeria (Cameroon v. Nigeriu).
Prelinzinary objection.^.33 DEMANDE EN INTERPRÉTATION(ARRET)
2. Conformément au paragraphe 2 de l'article 40 du Statut, la requête a été
immédiatement communiquéeau Gouvernement de la République du Came-
roun (dénomméeci-après le «Cameroun>>)par le greffier adjoint. Les Parties
ont été simultanémenitnforméesque lejuge doyen, agissant en application des
articles 13, paragrüphe 3, et 98. paragraphe 3, du Règlement, avait fixéau
3décembre1998la date d'expiration du délaidans lequel leCameroun pourrait
présenter desobservations écritessur la demande en interprétation.
3. Conformément au paragraphe 3 de l'article 40 du Statut, tous les Etats
admis à ester devant la Cour ont étéinformésde la requête.
4. Le 13novembre 1998,dans ledélaiqui lui avait étéimparti, leGouvernement
du Cameroun a déposé au Greffesesobservationsécritessur la demande nigériane.
5. Au vu du dossier qui lui étaitainsi soumis, la Cour, s'estimant suffisam-
ment renseignéesur les positions des Parties, n'a pas jugé nécessairde les invi-
terà «lui fournir par écritou oralement un supplémentd'information)), comme
le permet le paragraphe 4 de l'article 98du Règlement.
6. La Cour ne comptant sur le siègeaucun juge de la nationalité des Parties,
chacune d'elles s'estprévaluedu droit que lui confèrele paragraphe 3 de l'ar-
ticle 31 du Statut de procéderà la désignationd'un juge arihoc pour siégeren
l'affaire: le Nigériaa désignéM. Bola Ajibola et le Cameroun M. Kéba Mbaye.
7. Dans l'instance, les Parties ont présentéles conclusions suivantes:
dans la requête:
«Sur la base des considérationsqui précèdent,le Nigéria priela Cour de
dire et juger que l'arrêtde la Cour du 11juin 1998 doit être interprété
comme signifiant :
qu'en ce qui concerne la responsabilité internationale du Nigériaqui
serait engagéeen raison de certains incidents allégués:
a) le différendsoumis à la Cour n'inclut pas d'autres incidents allégués
que ceux (tout au plus) qui sont indiquésdans la requêtedu 29 mars
1994etdans la requête additionnelledu 6juin 1994présentéespar le
Cameroun :
II) la latitude dont dispose le Cameroun pour présenter des élémentd se
fait et de droit supplémentaires ne concerne (tout au plus) que les
éléments indiquéd sans la requêtedu 29 mars 1994et dans la requête
additionnelle du 6 juin 1994présentéespar le Cameroun:
c) la question de savoir si les faits allépar le Cameroun sont établis
ou non ne concerne (toutau plus) que ceux qui sont indiquésdans la
requêtedu 39 mars 1994et dans la requête additionnelledu 6 juin
1994présentéespar le Cameroun ».
Au non1 du Cameroun.
dans les observations écrites:
«Par ces motifs,
Vu la demande en interprétation présentéepar la Républiquetedérale
du Nigéria,datéedu 21 octobre 1998,la Républiquedu Cameroun soumet
à la Cour les conclusions suivantes: 2. Pursuant to Article 40, paragraph 2, of the Statute, the Application was
forthwith communicated to the Government of the Republic of Cameroon
(hereinafter called "Cameroon") by the Deputy-Registrar. At the same time,
the Parties were informed that the senior judge, acting pursuant to Articles 13,
paragraph 3, and 98, paragraph 3, of the Rules of Court. had fixed3 December
1998 as the time-limit for Cameroon to submit its written observations on
Nigeria's request for interpretation.
3. Pursuant to Article 40. paragraph 3, of the Statute, al1States entitled to
appear before the Court were informed of the Application.
4. On 13 November 1998, within the time-limit fixed, the Government of
Cameroon filed inthe Registry its written observations on the Nigerian request.
5. In light of the dossier thus submitted to it, the Court, considering that it
had sufficient information on the positions of the Parties, did not deem it
necessary to invite them "to furnish further written or oral explanations", as
Article 98, paragraph 4, of the Rules allows it to do.
6. Since the Court included upon the Bench no judge of the nationality of
the Parties, each of them availed itself ofthe right conferred by Article 31,ra-
graph 3. of the Statute to proceed to choose a judge (idhoc to sit in the case:
Nigeria chose Mr. Bola Ajibola and Cameroon Mr. KébaMbaye.
7. In the course of the proceedings the Parties presented the following sub-
missions :
On hehcrif'oJ 'igeriu:
in the Application
"On the basis of the foregoing considerations. Nigeria requests the
Court to adjudge and declare that the Court's Judgment of 11June 1998is
to be interpreted as meaning that:
so far as concerns the international responsibility which Nigeria is said
to bear for certain alleged incidents:
lu) the dispute before the Court does not include any alleged incidents
other than (at most) those specified in Cameroon's Application of
29 March 1994and Additional Application of 6 June 1994;
(b) Cameroon's freedom to present additional facts and legal consid-
erations relates (at most) only to those specified in Cameroon's
Application of 29 March 1994 and Additional Application of
6 June 1994; and
(c) the question whether facts alleged by Cameroon are established or
not relates (at most) only tothose specified inCameroon's Applica-
tion of 29 March 1994and Additional Application of 6 June 1994.''
On hrhulf of'Curneroon :
in the written observations:
"On these grounds,
Having regard to the request for interpretation submitted by the Federal
Republic of Nigeria dated 21 October 1998, the Republic of Cameroon
makes the following submissions:34 DEMANDE EN INTERPRÉTATION (ARRÊT)
1. La Républiquedu Cameroun s'enremet à la sagessede la Cour pour
décider de sa compétencpeour se prononcer sur une demandeen interpré-
tation d'une décision rendueà la suite d'une procédure incidente et, en
particulier, d'unarrêtrelatif aux exceptions préliminairsoulevéespar la
Partie défenderess;
2. La Républiquedu Cameroun prie la Cour de bien vouloir:
- A titre principal:
Déclarer irrecevablela demande de la République fédérad lu Nigéria;
dire et juger qu'iln'y a pas lieu d'interpréterl'arrêtdu 11juin 1998;
- A titre subsidiaire:
Dire et juger quela Républiquedu Cameroun est en droit d'invoquer
tous faits, quelle qu'en soitla date, qui permettent d'établirla violation
continue de ses obligations internationales par le Nigéria; quela Répu-
blique du Cameroun peut aussi invoquerles faits permettant d'évaluerle
préjudice qu'ellea subi et la réparation adéquate quliui est due.))
8. La Cour examinera en premier lieu la question de sa compétence
pour statuer sur la demande en interprétation déposéepar le Nigéria.
Celui-ci expose que, dans l'affaire de la Frontière terrrstrc et rnuritirne
entre le Curneroun et le NigPriu, le Cameroun a prétendu que la respon-
sabilité internationale du Nigéria était engagée «en raison de certains
incidents qui se seraient produits en divers lieux de Bakassi et du lac
Tchad et le long de la frontière entre ces deux régions)).Le Nigéria in-
dique aussi que le Cameroun a ((formulé des allégations concernant
plusieurs incidents de ce genre dans sa requêtedu 29 mars 1994,dans sa
requête additionnelle du 6 juin 1994, dans ses observations du 30 avril
1996 ..et au cours des audiences tenues du 2 au 11mars 1998)).Selon le
Nigéria, le Cameroun a ((aussi dit qu'il serait lui-même enmesure de
fournir par la suite des renseignements relatifs à d'autres incidents sans
préciser i quel moment)). L'arrêt rendupar la Cour le Il juin 1998 ne
précise pas, d'après le Nigéria, «quels sont les incidents alléguésqui
doivent être pris en considération lors de l'examen de I'affaire au fond)).
Ainsi le Nigéria soutient que cet arrêt«n'est pas clair sur le point de
savoir si le Cameroun étaiten droit, à diverses dates après le dépôtde sa
requêtemodifiée,de soumettre à la Cour de nouveaux incidents)).
Le Nigéria souligne enoutreque l'((on ne saurait traiter comme faisant
partie du différendporté devant la Cour par les requêtesde mars et juin
1994 des incidents alléguèsqui se seraient produits après le mois de juin
1994)). Le Cameroun aurait seulement la latitude, dans cette affaire, de
communiquer des ((faits supplémentaires pour décrire plus en détail des
incidents déjà mentionnés)) en temps utile; il ne saurait en revanche se
plaindre d'«incidents entièrement nouveaux et distincts qui donnent lieu
à de nouvelles demandes portant sur des questions de responsabilité)).
L'arrêtdu Il juin 1998devrait, par suite, être interprété comme signifiant 1. The Republicof Cameroon leavesit to the Court to decidewhetherit
hasjurisdictionto rule on a request forinterpretation of a decisionhanded
down following incidental proceedings and, in particular, with regard to a
judgment concerning the preliminary objections raised by the defending
Party;
2. The Republic of Cameroon requests theCourt:
- Primarily:
To declarethe requestby the Federal Republicof Nigeria inadmissible;
to adjudgeand declarethat there isno reason to interpret the Judgment of
11 June 1998 ;
Altrrnatively;
To adjudge and declare that the Republic of Cameroon is entitled to
rely on al1facts, irrespectiveof their date, that go to establish thecontinu-
ing violationby Nigeria of its international obligations; that the Republic
of Cameroon may also rely on such facts to enable an assessmentto be
made of the damage it has sufferedand the adequate reparation that isdue
to it."
8. The Court will first address the question of its jurisdiction over the
request for interpretation submitted by Nigeria. Nigeria States that, in the
case concerning the Land und Maritime Boundary bet~veen Cameroon
and Nigrriu, Cameroon alleged that Nigeria bore international responsi-
bility "for certain incidents said to have occurred at various places at
Bakassi and Lake Chad and along the length of the frontier between
those two regions". Cameroon is also said to have "made allegations
involving a number of such incidents in its Application of 29 March
1994, its Additional Application of 6 June 1994, its Observations of
30 April 1996 . . . and during the oral hearings held from 2 to 11 March
1998". According to Nigeria, Cameroon had "also said that [it]would be
able to provide information as to other incidents on some unspecified
future occasion". Nigeria contends that the Court's Judgment of 1IJune
1998 does not specify "which of these alleged incidents are to be consid-
ered further as part of the merits of the case". Thus Nigeria maintains
that the Judgment "is unclear [as to] whether Cameroon was entitled at
various times, after the submission of its Amended Application, to bring
before the Court new incidents".
Nigeria further emphasizes "the inadmissibility of treating as part of
the dispute brought before the Court by the Applications of March
and June 1994 alleged incidents occurring subsequently to June 1994".
Cameroon, it is said, is entitled in this case to submit, in due course, only
"additional facts in amplification of incidents previously adverted to" ; it
was not entitled to submit "entirely new and discrete incidents which are
made the subject of new claims of responsibility". The Judgment of
11 June 1998was accordingly to be interpreted as meaning "that so far as
concerns the international responsibility [of] Nigeria . . . the dispute((qu'en ce qui concerne la responsabilité internationale du Nigéria ... le
différend soumis à la Cour n'inclut pas d'autres incidents alléguésque
ceux (tout au plus) qui sont indiquésdans la requête ...et la requêteaddi-
tionnelle1).
9. Le Cameroun, quant àlui, rappelle dans ses observations écritessur
la demande en interprétation du Nigériaque, par son arrêt du Il juin
1998, la Cour a rejeté sept exceptions préliminairesd'incompétenceet
d'irrecevabilité soulevéep sar le Nigériaet déclaréque, dans les circons-
tances de l'espèce,la huitième exception n'avaitpas un caractère exclusi-
vement préliminaire; par cet arrèt, la Cour s'est en outre reconnue com-
pétentepour statuer sur le différend eta déclaré recevablela requêtedu
Cameroun du 29 mars 1994tellequ'amendéepar la requêteadditionnelle
du 6 juin 1994. Le Cameroun fait observer que les Parties ((n'ont pas a
((appliquer)) l'arrêt[mais] doivent seulement en prendre acte)). Tout en
s'en remettant à la sagesse de la Cour, il déclare((nourrir les doutes les
plus sérieuxen ce qui concerne la facultéd'introduire une demande en
interprétation d'un arrêt portant surdes exceptions préliminaires)).
IO. Aux termes de l'article 60 du Statut: ((L'arrêtest définitif etsans
recours. En cas de contestation sur le sens et la portée de l'arrêt, appar-
tientà la Cour de l'interpréter, à la demande de toute partie.)) Cette dis-
position est complétéepar l'article 98 du Règlementde la Cour qui pré-
cise en son paragraphe 1 : En cas de contestation sur le sens ou la portée
d'un arrêt, toutepartie peut présenter unedemande en interprétation ...»
En vertu de la seconde phrase de l'article 60, la Cour a compétence
pour connaître des demandes en interprétation de tout arrêtrendu par
elle. Cette disposition ne fait pas de distinction quant à la nature de
l'arrêt concerné1 .1s'ensuit qu'un arrêtprononcésur des exceptions pré-
liminaires peut, tout comme un arrêtqui a statuésur le fond, faire l'objet
d'une demande en interprétation. Toutefois,
«c'est afin de permettre à la Cour de préciserau besoin ce qui a été
décidé avec forceobligatoire dans un arrèt, que la deuxièmephrase
de l'article 60 a étéintroduite, ...une demande qui n'a pas ce but
ne rentre pas dans le cadre de cette disposition)) (Znterpréfution
des arrêtsno"7 et 8 (usine de Chorxiir.). arrêt ri"11, 1927, C.P.J.I.
.~kriA n" 13, p. 11).
Dèslors, toute demande en interprétation doit porter sur le dispositif de
l'arrêtet ne peut concerner les motifs que dans la mesure où ceux-ci sont
inséparablesdu dispositif.
11. Dans l'affaire de laFrontiPre terrestre et rq~uritimeentre le Cumc-
roun et le Nigériu, le Nigériaavait développé unesixièmeexception pré-
liminaire ((selon laquelle aucun élémentne permet[tait] au juge de déciderbefore the Court does not include any alleged incidents other than (at
most) those specifiedin [the]Application ...and Additional Application".
9. For its part, Cameroon recalls in its written observations on
Nigeria's request for interpretation that, in its Judgment of 11June 1998,
the Court rejected sevenof the preliminary objections of lack ofjurisdic-
tion and inadmissibility raised by Nigeria and stated that, in the circum-
stances of the case, the eighth objection was not of an exclusively pre-
liminary character; in that Judgment,the Court further recognized that it
had jurisdiction to adjudicate upon the dispute and found that the Appli-
cation filed bythe Republic of Cameroon on 29 March 1994,as amended
by the Additional Application of 6 June 1994,was admissible. Cameroon
declares that the Parties "do not have to 'apply' such a judgment; they
only have to take note of it". While leaving the question to the apprecia-
tion of the Court. it states that "there are very serious doubts about the
possibility of bringing a request for interpretation of ajudgment concern-
ing preliminary objections".
10. Article 60 of the Statute provides: "The judgment is final and
without appeal. In the event of dispute asto the meaning or scope of the
judgment, the Court shall construe it upon the request of any party."
This provision is supplemented by Article 98 of the Rules of Court,
paragraph 1of which provides: "ln the event of disputeas to the mean-
ing or scopeof ajudgment any party may make a request for its interpre-
tation .. ."
By virtue of the second sentence of Article 60, the Court has jurisdic-
tion to entertain requests for interpretation of any judgment rendered by
it. This provision makes no distinction as to the type of judgment con-
cerned. It follows, therefore, that a judgment on preliminary objections,
just as well as ajudgment on the merits, can be the object of a request for
interpretation. However,
"the second sentence of Article 60 was inserted in order, if necessary,
to enable the Court to make quite clear the points which had been
settled with binding force in ajudgment, . ..a request which has not
that object does not come within the terms of this provision" (Inter-
prrtution of Judgrnc~iltsNos. 7 und 8 (Facto- ut Chorzott,), Jur/g-
nlerrt No. //, 1927, P.C./. J.,S~lrie.~il.No. 13, p. 11).
In consequence, any request for interpretation must relate to the opera-
tive part of the judgment and cannot concern the reasons for the judg-
ment except in so far as these are inseparable from the operative part.
11. In the case concerning the Lund und Maritirne Bourzdurjl betli-c~rrz
Caineroon and Nigeriu, Nigeria had put forward a sixth preliminary
objection "to the effect that there is no basis for a judicial determinationque la responsabilité internationale du Nigéria [était] engagéeen raison
de prétendues incursions frontalières)). La Cour, dans son arrêt du
II juin 1998,a résumécomme suit la position du Nigéria àcet égard:
«Selon le Nigéria,les conclusions du Cameroun ne satisfont pas
aux exigences de l'article 38 du Règlement de la Cour et des prin-
cipes générauxdu droit qui prescrivent que soient clairement présen-
tés lesfaits..[Llesélémentsque le Cameroun a soumis à la Cour ne
lui fournissent pas les informations dont il a besoin ... De même,
selon le Nigéria,les élémentsfournis sont si fragmentaires qu'ils ne
permettent pas à la Cour de trancher équitablement et utilement, sur
le plan judiciaire..Tout en reconnaissant qu'un Etat dispose d'une
certaine latitude pour développer ultérieurementle contenu de sa
requêteet de son mémoire,le Nigéria affirmeque le Cameroun doit
pour l'essentiel s'en tenir, dans ses développements,a l'affaire telle
qu'elle a été présentédeans la requête. (C.I.J.Recueil 1998, p. 317,
par. 96.)
Dans le dispositif de son arrêtdu 11juin 1998, la Cour ((rejette la
sixièmeexceptionpréliminaire)).Elle s'appuie pour ce faire sur les motifs
développésaux paragraphes 98 à 101de l'arrêt.Ces derniers précisentles
droits du Cameroun en ce qui concerne la présentation «des élémentsde
fait et deroit)) (ibid., p. 318, par. 99) qu'il pourrait avancer pour étayer
ses conclusions tendant a la condamnation du Nigéria.Ces motifs sont
inséparablesdu dispositif et la demande en interprétation remplit donc,
de ce point de vue, lesconditions fixéespar l'article du Statut pour que
la Cour ait compétencepour en connaître.
12. La Cour passera maintenant à l'examen de la recevabilitéde la
demande du Nigéria. La question de la recevabilité desdemandes en
interprétation des arrêtsde la Cour appelle une attention particulièreen
raison de la nécessitde ne pas porter atteinte au caractèredéfinitifde ces
arrêtset de ne pas en retarder l'exécution. Cen'est pas sans raison que
l'article0 du Statut énonceen premier lieu que les arrêts sont((défini-
tifls] et sans recours.)) L'article dispose ensuite que, dans le cas d'une
((contestationsur le sens et la portée de'arrêt)),celui-ciest interprété par
la Cour à la demande de toute partie. Le libelléet la structure de I'ar-
ticle 60 traduisent la primautédu principe de l'autorité dela chose jugée.
Ce principe doit êtrepréservé. LaCour réaffirmece qu'elle a dit précé-
demment, A savoir que:
«Il faut que la demande ait réellementpour objet une interpréta-
tion de l'arrêt,ce qui signifie qu'elle doit viser uniquementà faire
éclaircirle sens et la portée dece qui été décidé avec force obliga-
toire par l'arrêt. etnon obtenir la solution de points qui n'ont pas
ainsi été décidéT s.oute autre façon d'interpréterl'article 60 dua-that Nigeria bears international responsibility for alleged frontier incur-
sions". In its Judgment of II June, the Court summarized Nigeria's posi-
tion on this point:
"Nigeria contends that the submissions of Cameroon do not meet
the standards required by Article 38 of the Rules of Court and
general principles of law regarding the adequate presentation of
facts ... [Wlhat Cameroon has presented to the Court does not give
Nigeria the knowledge which it needs . . .Similarly, in Nigeria's
view, the material submitted is so sparse that it does not enable the
Court to carry out fair and effectivejudicial determination . . While
Nigeria acknowledge[d] that a State has some latitude in expand-
ing later what it ha[d] said in its Application and in its Memorial,
Cameroon [was] said to be essentially restricted in its elaboration
to the case as presented in its Application." (Z.C.J. Reports 1998,
p. 317, para. 96.)
In the operative part of its Judgment of 11 June 1998, the Court
"[r]ejects the sixth preliminary objection". The reasons for this are set
out in paragraphs 98 to 101 of the Judgment. These deal in detail with
Cameroon's rights as regards the presentation of "facts and legal consid-
erations" that it might wish to put forward in support of its submissions
seeking a ruling against Nigeria (ihid p.,318, para. 99). These reasons
are inseparable from the operative part of the Judgment and in this
regard the request therefore meets the conditions laid down by Article 60
of the Statute in order for the Court to have jurisdiction to entertain a
request for interpretation of a judgment.
12. The Court will now examine the admissibility of the request of
Nigeria. The question of the admissibility of requests for interpretation
of the Court's judgments needs particular attention because of the need
to avoid impairing the finality, and delaying the implementation, of these
judgments. It is not without reason that Article 60 of the Statute lays
down, in the first place, that judgments are "final and without appeal".
Thereafter, the Article provides that in the case of a "dispute as to the
meaning or scope of the judgment", it shall be construed by the Court
upon the request of any Party. The language and structure of Article 60
reflect the primacy of the principle ofresjudicutu. That principle must be
maintained. The Court adheres to what it has previously held, namely
that
"[tlhe real purpose of the request must be to obtain an interpretation
of thejudgment. This signifiesthat its object must be solelyto obtain
clarification of the meaning and the scope of what the Court has
decided with binding force, and not to obtain an answer to questions
not so decided. Any other construction of Article 60 of the Statute tut aurait pour conséquenced'annuler la disposition de ce mêmear-
ti~le selon laquelle l'arrêtest définitifet sans recours.» (Demande
d'interprktution de 1'urrt;tdu 220novembre 1950 enI'uffuire rludroit
tl'rrsile,arrêt,C.1.J. Recueil 1950, p. 402.)
Dans son arrêtsur la Deniunde en rei~isionet en interprétationde l'urrêt
du 24jevricr 1982 en l'uffuire du Plateau continental (TunisieIJamahiriya
arabe libyenne) (Tunisie c. Jurnulliriyrrurube libyenne), la Cour s'estpro-
noncéedans le même sens enconcluant que
«l'une des conditions de recevabilitéd'une demande en interpréta-
tion est...que le but véritablede la demande doit être d'obtenirune
interprétation - un éclaircissement sur ce sens et cette portée.))
(C.1.J. Recueil 1985, p. 223, par. 56.)
13. En la présente espèce, laCour commencera par rappeler quelles
avaient été,à l'égard des incidentsfrontaliers alléguésl,es conclusions du
Cameroun dans l'affaire de la Frontière terrestre et niuritin~eentre le
Cumeroun et le Nigkriu. Dans sa requêtetelle qu'amendéepar sa requête
additionnelle, le Cameroun se plaignait en 1994 c<d'incursionsgraves et
répétées des populations et des forces armées nigérianesen territoire
camerounais tout le long de la frontière entre les deux pays)). Il deman-
dait en outre a la Cour de juger que la responsabilité du Nigériaétait
«engagéepar les faits internationalement illicites))qui, selon lui, s'étaient
produits dans les régionsde Bakassi et du lac Tchad.
Dans son mémoire du 16 mars 1995, le Cameroun a développéces
conclusions en soulignant que la responsabilitéinternationale du Nigéria
était «engagée par les faits internationalement illicites)) exposés aux
pages 561 à 648 dudit mémoire. Cedocument traitait d'incidents sur-
venus non seulement dans les régionsde Bakassi et du lac Tchad, mais
aussi dans les autres régionsfrontalières et notamment à Tipsan. Puis,
dans ses observations du 30 avril 1996, le Cameroun confirmait ses
conclusions antérieures et recensait en annexe 1 a ses observations une
séried'incidents concernant quarante-deux localités situéestout au long
de la frontière. Certains de ces incidents mentionnésdans le mémoireet
dans les observations du Cameroun étaient postérieurs au dépôt de sa
requête additionnelle.
14. Aux conclusions ainsi présentées,le Nigéria opposa la sixième
exception d'irrecevabilité.IIexposait que la requêteinitiale du Cameroun
telle qu'amendéese bornait à des affirmations vagues «en ce qui concerne
les dates, les circonstances et les lieux précis desprétendues incursions et
incidents)).Ilajoutait que cette requêtene mettait «pas en cause la res-
ponsabilité internationale du Nigéria à l'égard d'actes commis ailleurs
qu'à Bakassi et dans le lac Tchad)). 11estimait que le Cameroun étaittenu
«de se limiter pour l'essentielaux fait...présentésdans sa requête)). Ilen
concluait que toute tentative ultérieure d'élargirla portée del'affaireétait
inadmissible et que les ((élémentssupplémentaires>p> résentéspar la suite
en vue d'établirla responsabilitédu Nigéria devaientêtre écartés. would nullify the provision of the article that the judgment is final
and without appeal." (Request for lnterpretution oj'the Judgrnent qf
20 Novenîber 1950 in the Asylum Cuse, Judgment, I.C.J. Reports
1950, p. 402.)
In its Judgment on the Applicutionfor Revision und Interpretution of the
Judgment of 24 Fehruary 1982 in the Case cotzcerning tlze Continental
Shelf (TunisiaILibyan Arab Jamahiriya) (Tunisiu v. Lib),un Arab Jan~tr-
hiriyaj, the Court similarly held that
"[ilt is however a condition of admissibility of a request for interpre-
tation . . that the real purpose of the request be to obtain an inter-
pretation - a clarification of that meaning and scope (IC. J. Reports
1985, p. 223, para. 56)".
13. In the present case, the Court would initially recall what were
Cameroon's submissions with regard to the alleged frontier incidents in
the caseconcerning the Land und Maritime Boundary hetiveen Cameroon
und Nigeria. In its Application as amended by its Additional Applica-
tion, Cameroon complained in 1994"of grave and repeated incursions of
Nigerian groups and armed forces into Cameroonian territory al1along
the frontier between the two countries". It further requested the Court to
adjudge that the "internationally unlawful acts" alleged to have occurred
in the Bakassi and Lake Chad regions involve the responsibility of
Nigeria.
In its Memorial of 16March 1995,Cameroon developed these submis-
sions by emphasizing that, as a result of the "internationally unlawful
acts" set out in pages 561 to 648 of the Memorial, Nigeria had incurred
international responsibility. This document dealt not only with incidents
in the Bakassi and Lake Chad regions, but also with those in other
frontier areas and in particular at Tipsan. Then, in its observations
of 30 April 1996. Cameroon confirmed its previous submissions and in
Annex 1 to those observations listed incidents relating to 42 localities
situated along the length of the frontier. Someof the incidents mentioned
in Cameroon's Memorial and observations had occurred afterthe date of
the Additional Application.
14. To these submissions, Nigeria raised its sixth objection to admis-
sibility. It argued that Cameroon's initial Application as amended
restricted itself to vague allegations as to "the dates, circumstances and
precise locations of the alleged incursions and incidents". It added that
this Application "made no claim as to Nigeria's international responsi-
bility in relation to acts occurring outside Bakassi and Lake Chad". It
considered that Cameroon must "essentially confine itself to the facts .. .
presented in its Application". From this it concluded that any subsequent
attempt to enlarge the scope of the casewas inadmissible and that "addi-
tions" presented subsequently with a viewto establishing Nigeria's respon-
sibility must be disregarded.38 DEMANDE EN INTERPRETATION (ARRÊT)
15. Par son arrêtdu II juin 1998, laCour a rejetéla sixièmeexception
préliminairedu Nigéria.Elle a expliquéque «[l]a décisionsur la sixième
exception préliminairedu Nigéria dépend[ait]de la question de savoir si
[étaient]réunies enl'espèceles conditions que doit remplir une requête,
telles qu'énoncéesau paragraphe 2 de l'article 38 du Règlement de la
Cour)) (C.I.J. Recueil 1998, p. 318, par. 98). La Cour a ajouté que le
terme <<succinct»employéau paragraphe 2 de I'article 38 du Règlement
(«[la requête]indique ...la nature précisede la demande et contient un
exposé succinct desfaits et moyens sur lesquels cette demande repose»)
ne signifiait pas «complet» et n'excluait pas que l'exposédes faits et
motifs sur lesquelsrepose une demande soit complété ultérieurementE . lle
a égalementdit que la latitude de 1'Etatdemandeur, pour développerce
qu'il a exposédans sa requête, n'était pas strictemenltimitée,comme le
suggéraitle Nigéria. LaCour a notamment soulignéqu'une telle conclu-
sion ne saurait êtretiréedu prononcé de la Cour selon lequel la date
pertinente pour apprécier la recevabilitéd'une requêteest la date de
son dépôtcar ((cesprononcésne se réfèrentpas au contenu des requêtes
(Questions d'interprétutionet d'applicution de lu convention de Montréal
de 1971 résultant de l'incident uCrien de Lockerbie (Jamuhiriyu urabe
libyenne c. Royuume- Uni), e'ccrptionspréliminaires,arrêt, C.I.J. Recueil
1998, p. 26, par. 44, et Questions d'interprétutionet d'application de lu
convention de Montréulde 1971ré.~ultund te l'incidentuérien deLockerbir
(Jamahiriya arabe libyenrzec. Etuts- Unisd'Amérique) ,exceptionsprélimi-
nuires, urrêt,C.I.J. Recueil 1998,p. 130,par. 43)»(ihid., p. 318,par. 99).
Elle tient à réaffirmerque la question des conditions dont dépend la
recevabilitéd'une requête àla date du dépôt de celle-ciet la question de
la recevabilitéde l'exposéde faits et moyens supplémentairessont deux
questions différentes.La Cour a indiqué,dans son arrêtdu 11juin 1998,
que la libertéde présenter des élémentdse fait et de droit supplémentaires
trouvait sa limite dans l'exigenceque le différendportédevant la Cour
par requêtene soit pas transforméen un autre différenddont le caractère
ne serait pas le même. C'esetn fin de compte à la Cour qu'il appartient de
déterminerdans chaque cas où la question se pose si le différend estainsi
transformé ou non. En ce qui concerne la sixièmeexception préliminaire
du Nigéria, l'arrêdtu 11juin 1998a conclu que, «[e]n l'espèce,le Came-
roun n'a[vait] pas opéréune telle transformation du différend))(C.1.J.
Recueil 1998, p. 319, par. 100)et que la requêtedu Cameroun remplissait
les conditions fixéespar l'article 38 du Règlement. Ainsi,la Cour n'a pas
distinguéentre «incidents» et «faits»; elle a jugéque des incidents sup-
plémentairesconstituent des faits supplémentaireset que leur invocation
dans l'instance est régiepar les mêmesrègles. A cet égard, point n'est
besoin pour la Cour de souligner qu'elle a appliqué et appliquera stricte-
ment le principe du respect du caractère contradictoire de la procédure.
16. Il découlede ce qui précèdeque la Cour a déjiclairement examiné
et rejeté,dans son arrêtdu Il juin 1998, la premièredes trois conclusions
présentéespar le Nigéria au terme de sa demande en interprétation, à
savoir que: REQUEST FOR INTERPRETATION (JUDGMENT) 38
15. By its Judgment of Il June 1998,the Court rejected Nigeria's sixth
preliminary objection. The Court explained that "[tlhe decision on
Nigeria's sixth preliminary objection hinges upon the questionof whether
the requirements which an application must meet and which are set out in
Article 38, paragraph 2, of the Rules of Court are met" (I.C.J. Reports
1998, p. 318,para. 98). TheCourt added that the term "succinct" used in
Article 38, paragraph 2, of the Rules ("[the Application] shall also specify
the precise nature of the claim, together with a succinct statement of the
facts and grounds on which the claim is based") does not mean "com-
plete" and does not preclude later additions to the statement of the facts
and grounds on which the claim is based. The Court also found that the
latitude of an applicant State, in developing what it has said in its appli-
cation, is not strictly limited, as suggested by Nigeria. The Court under-
lined, inter aliu, that that conclusion cannot be drawn from the Court's
pronouncement on the importance of the point of time of the submission
of the application as the critical date for the determination of its admis-
sibility as "these pronouncements do not refer to the content of applica-
tions (Questions of Interpretation and Application of the 1971 Montreal
Conv~nrionurisingfrom the Aerial Incident ar Lockerbie (Libyan Aruh
Jumalziriya v. United Kingdom), Prelinlinury Objections, Judgrnent, I. C.J
Reports 1998, p. 26, para. 44;and Questions of Interpretation und Appli-
cation of the 1971 Montreal Convention arisingfrom the Aerial Incident
at Lockerbie (Libyan Arab Jamahiriya v. United Stutes of Amrrica),
Prelitninury Objc.>ctions,Judgment, 1.C.J. Reports 1998, p. 130,
para. 43)" (ibid., p. 318, para. 99). The Court wishes to reiterate that the
question of the conditions for the admissibility of an application at the
time of its introduction, and the question of the admissibility of the
presentation of additional facts and legalgrounds, are two different things.
TheCourt indicated, in its Judgment of 11June 1998,that the limit of the
freedom to present additional facts and legal considerations is that there
must be no transformation of the dispute brought before the Court by
the application into another dispute which is different in character.
Whether that is the case ultimately has to be decided by the Court in each
individual case in which the question arises. With regard to Nigeria's
sixth preliminary objection, the Judgment of 11June 1998has concluded
that "[iln this case, Cameroon has not so transformed the dispute" (ihid.,
p. 319,para. 100)and that Cameroon's Application met the requirements
of Article 38 of the Rules. Thus, the Court made no distinction between
"incidents" and "facts"; it found that additional incidents constitute
additional facts, and that their introduction in proceedings before the
Court is governed by the same rules. In this respect, there is no need for
the Court to stress that it has and will strictly apply the principle of audi
altcrarn partem.
16. It follows from the foregoing that the Court has already clearly
dealt with and rejected, in its Judgment of 1 I June 1998,the first of the
three submissions presented by Nigeria at the end of its request for inter-
pretation, namely that :39 DEMANDE EN INTERPRÉTATION(ARRET)
HU) le différend soumis à la Cour n'inclut pas d'autres incidents
alléguésque ceux (tout au plus) qui sont indiqués dans la
requêtedu 29 mars 1994 et dans la requête additionnelledu
6juin 1994présentéespar le Cameroun)).
La Cour ne saurait par suite connaître de cette première conclusion sans
remettre en cause l'autoritéde la chose jugéequi s'attache audit arrêt.
Les deux autres conclusions, à savoir que:
«b) la latitude dont dispose le Cameroun pour présenter des élé-
ments de fait et de droitsupplénlentairesne concerne (tout au
plus) que lesélémentsindiquéd sans la requêtedu 29 mars 1994
et dans la requête additionnelledu 6juin 1994présentéespar le
Cameroun D,
et que
((c) la question de savoir si les faits alléguéspar le Cameroun sont
établis ou non ne concerne (tout au plus) que ceux qui sont
indiquésdans la requêtedu 29 mars 1994 et dans la requête
additionnelle du 6juin 1994présentéespar le Cameroun)),
tendent à soustraireà l'examende la Cour des élémentsde fait et de droit
dont la présentation a déjà été autorisépar l'arrêtdu 1l juin 1998ou qui
n'ont pas encore été présentépsar le Cameroun. Dans une hypothèse
comme dans l'autre, la Cour ne saurait examiner ces conclusions.
Il résultede ce qui précèdeque la demande en interprétation que le
Nigériaa soumise a la Cour n'est pas recevable.
17. Au vu des conclusions auxquelles elle est parvenue ci-dessus, la
Cour n'a pas eu à se pencher sur la question de savoir s'ilexisterait entre
les Parties une ((contestation sur le sens et la portéedearrêt))du Il juin
1998,au sens de l'article 60 du Statut.
18. Dans ses observations écrites,le Cameroun prie non seulement la
Cour de déclarerque la demande en interprétation présentéepar le Nigé-
ria est irrecevable, mais aussi dejuger, conformémentaux dispositions de
I'article 97 du Règlement, que les frais de procédure supplémentaires
imposésau Cameroun par la demande du Nigériadoivent ètre supportés
par celui-ci.
L'article64 du Statut stipule que, sauf (([sl'ilen est décidéautrement
par la Cour, chaque partie supporte ses frais de procédure.))Cette dispo-
sition est mise en Œuvrepar l'article 97du Règlement.Tout en prévoyant "(a) the dispute before the Court does not include any alleged inci-
dents other than (at most) those specified in Cameroon's
Application of 29 March 1994 and Additional Application of
6 June 1994".
The Court would therefore be unable to entertain this first submission
without calling into question the effect of the Judgment concerned as rrs
judic-ata.The two other submissions, namely that:
"(b) Cameroon's freedom to present additional facts and legal
considerations relates (at most) only to those specified in
Cameroon's Application of 29 March 1994 and Additional
Application of 6 June 1994",
and that :
"(c) the question whether facts alleged by Cameroon are estab-
lished or not relates (at most) only to those specified in
Cameroon's Application of 29 March 1994 and Additional
Application of 6 June 1994",
endeavour to remove from the Court's consideration elements of law and
fact which it has, in its Judgment of 11 June 1998, already authorized
Cameroon to present, or which Cameroon has not yet put forward. In
either case, the Court would be unable to entertain these submissions.
It follows from the foregoing that Nigeria's request for interpretation
is inadmissible.
17. In view of the conclusions it has reached above, there is no need
for the Court to examine whether there is, between the Parties, a "dispute
as to the meaning or scope of the judgment" of 11June 1998,as contem-
plated by Article 60 of the Statute.
18. In its written observations, Cameroon seeks not only to have the
Court declare Nigeria's request for interpretation inadmissible, it also
requests that, in conformity with Article 97 of the Rules, Nigeria be
charged with the additional costs caused to Cameroon by Nigeria's
request.
Article 64 of the Statute provides that "[u]nless otherwise decided by
the Court, each party shall bear its own costs". This provision is given
effect by Article 97 of the Rules of Court. While anticipating the possi-la possibilité d'exceptions, dans des circonstances qu'il ne précise pas,
l'articl64 du Statut consacre ainsi le
((principe fondamental en matière de dépens qui s'applique au
contentieux devant les tribunaux internationaux, à savoir que cha-
cune des parties supporte ses propres frais)(Demande de réforma-
tion dujugement no158du Tribunaladministratif des Nations Unies,
avisconsultut$ C.I.J. Recueil 1973, p. 212, par. 98).
La Cour ne voit pas de raison de se départir dans la présente instance
de la règle généralequi trouve son expression à l'articl64 du Statut.
19. Par ces motifs.
1)Par treize voix contre trois,
Déclare irrecevable la demande en interprétation de l'arrêtdu IIjuin
1998 en l'affaire de larontiéreterrestre et maritime entre le Cameroun
et le Nigéria(Cameroun c. Nigéria), exceptions préliminairesprésentée
par le Nigéria le28 octobre 1998;
POUR: M. Schwebel. président,MM. Oda, Bedjaoui, Guillaume, Ranjeva,
Herczegh, Shi, Fleischhauer, Vereshchetin, Mn" Higgins, MM. Parra-
Aranguren, Kooijmans, juges; M. Mbaye. juge ad hoc;
CONTRE: M. Weeramantry, vice-président, . Koroma, juge; M. Ajibola,
juge ad hoc;
2) A l'unanimité,
Rejette la demande du Cameroun tendant à faire supporter par le
Nigériales frais de procédure supplémentaires qui lui ont été imposésar
ladite demande en interprétation.
Fait en français et en anglais, le texte français faisant foi, au Palais de
la Paix, à La Haye, le vingt-cinq mars mil neuf cent quatre-vingt-dix-
neuf, en trois exemplaires, dont l'un restera déposéaux archives de la
Cour et les autres seront transmis respectivement au Gouvernement de la
République fédéraledu Nigériaet au Gouvernement de la République du
Cameroun.
Le président,
(Signé) Stephen M. SCHWEBEL.
Le greffier,
(Signé) Eduardo VALENCIA-OSPINA. REQUEST FOR INTERPRETATION (JUDGMENT) 40
bility of exceptions, in circumstances which it does not specify, Article 64
confirms the
"basic principle regarding the question of costs in contentious pro-
ceedings before international tribunals,to the effect that each party
shall bear its own" (ApplicutionfOr Revieiv of Judgement No. 158 of
the United Nations Administrative Tribunal, Advisory Opinion, I.C.J.
Reports 1973, p.212, para. 98).
TheCourt sees no reason to depart in the present case from the general
rule set forth in Article 64 of the Statute.
19. For these reasons,
(1) By thirteen votes to three,
Drclures inadmissible the request for interpretation of the Judgment of
11 June 1998 in the case concerning the Lund und Maritime Boundury
betli-een Cumeroon und Nigeria (Cumeroon v. Nigeriu), Preliminuiy
Objections, presented by Nigeria on 28 October 1998;
IN FAVOUR :PresidentSchwebel;Judges Oda, Bedjaoui,Guillaume, Ranjeva,
Herczegh, Shi, Fleischhauer, Vereshchetin, HigginsP , arra-Aranguren,
Kooijmans; Judge ad hoc Mbaye;
AGAINSV Ti:ce-PresidentWeeramantry;JudgeKoroma; Judgead hocAjibola.
(2) Unanimously,
Rejects Cameroon's request that Nigeria bear the additional costs
caused to Cameroon by the above-mentioned request for interpretation.
Done in French and in English, the French text being authoritative,
at the Peace Palace, The Hague. this twenty-fifth day of March, one
thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine, in three copies, one of which
will be placed in the archives of the Court and the others transmitted to
the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Government
of the Republic of Cameroon respectively.
(Signed) Stephen M. SCHWEBEL,
President.
(Signed) Eduardo VALENCIA-OSPINA,
Registrar.41 DEMANDE EN INTERPRETATION (ARRET)
M. WEERAMANTR Yie-président,M. KOROMA j,ge, etM. AJIBOLA,
juge ad hoc,joignent à l'arrêtles exposésde leur opinion dissidente.
(Paraphé) S.M.S.
(Paruphé) E.V.O. REQUEST FOR INTERPRETATION (JUDGMENT) 41
Vice-President WEERAMANTRJu,dge KOROMAa ,nd Judgead hoc
AJIBOLAappend dissenting opinions to the Judgment of the Court.
(InifiullS.)M.S.
(InitiallE.).O.
Judgment of 25 March 1999