INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE
Peace Palace, 2517 KJ The Hague. Tel. 92 44 41. Cables: Intercourt. The Hague
Telex 32323
Communiqué
for ~mmediate release
No. 86/6
5 June 1986
Hearing to open on Monday 16 June 1986
The following information is made available to the Press by the
Registry of the International Court of Justice:
Public sittings to hear the oral arguments of the Parties in the
Frontier Dispute case between Burkina Faso and Mali will open at 10 a.m.
on Monday 16 June :L986 in the Great Hall of Justice of the Peace Palace
at The Hague.
Burkina Faso and Mali have jointly submitted to a specially
constituted Chamber of the International Court of Justice a dispute
between them conceming the delimitation of part of their common land
boundary. The proceedings were instituted on 14 October 1983 by means of
a Special Agreement.
The Chamber was formed by an Order of the Court made on
3 April 1985. Its Members are Judge Mohamed Bedjaoui, President of the
Chamber; Judges Manfred Lachs and José Maria Ruda; and
Judges ad hoc Franqois Luchaire and Georges Abi-Saab.
Following serious incidents between the armed forces of Burkina Faso
and Mali in the border region during the last days of 1985, the Chamber
dealing with the case indicated interim measures of protection in an
Order unanimously adopted on 10 January 1986. in conformity with this
Order, the Chamber was subsequently informed of an agreement between the
Heads of State of :Burkina Faso and Mali to withdraw their respective
forces on either side of the area in dispute.
The.. . The oral proceedings which will open on 16 June 1986 have been
preceded by the submission of two rounds of written pleadings. In the
first round Burkina Faso and Mali filed Memorials on 3 October 1985;
their Counter-Memorials, constituting the second round, were filed on
2 April 1986.
The oral proceedings are expected to last approximately two weeks.
NOTE FOR THE PRESS
1. The public sitting will be held in the Great Hall of Justice of
the Peace Palace. Members of the Press will be entitled to attend it
after presentation of a press identification card or an admission card,
The tables reserved for them are
which may be obtained upon application.
situated on the far left of the public entrance to the courtroom.
L. Photographs may be taken before the opening and during the first
few minutes of the sitting; also a few minutes towards the end. Filming
for cinema or television purposes is however subject to special
authorization.
3. In the Press Room, located on the ground floor of the
Peace Palace (Room 51, the Court's proceedings will be relayed through a
loudspeaker.
4. Members of the Press may use only the public telephones in the
Post Office in the basement of the Palace.
5. Mr. C. Poux, First Secretary of the Court (telephone
extension 233), or, in his absence, Mr. Noble (extension 248) will be
available to deal with any requests for information by members of the
Press.
Frontier Dispute (Burkina Faso/Mali) - Hearing to open on Monday 16 June 1986