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. 2000/23
30 June 2000
Armed Activities on the Territory of the Congo
(Democratic Republic of the Congo v. Uganda)
Request for the indication of provisional measures
Court to give its decision on Saturday 1 July 2000 at 11 a.m.
THE HAGUE, 30 June 2000. On Saturday 1 Ju ly 2000, the International Court of Justice
(ICJ) will give its decision on the request for the indication of provisional measures submitted by
the Democratic Republic of the C ongo (DRC) in the case concerning Armed Activities on the
Territory of the Congo (Democratic Republic of the Congo v. Uganda).
A public sitting will take place at 11 a.m. at the Peace Palace in The Hague during which
the Court’s Order will be read.
*
Hearings on the request for the indication of provisional measures filed by the DRC on
19 June 2000 were held on Monday 26 and Wednesday 28 June 2000.
At the end of those hearings, the Parties presented the following submissions to the Court:
For the Democratic Republic of the Congo:
“The Democratic Republic of the Congo requests the Court to indicate as a
matter of urgency 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 Uga nda must order its army to cease forthwith
all fighting or military activity on the territory of the Democratic Republic of the
Congo and to withdraw immediately and completely from that territory, and must
forthwith desist from providing any direct or indirect support to any State, group,
organization, movement or individual enga ged or preparing to engage in military
activities on the territory of the Democratic Republic of the Congo; - 2 -
(3) the Government of the Republic of Uganda must take all measures in its power to
ensure that units, forces or agents which are or could be under its authority, or
which enjoy or could enjoy its support, t ogether with organizations or persons
which could be under its control, authority or influence, desist forthwith from
committing or inciting the commission of war crimes or any other oppressive or
unlawful act against all persons on the terr itory of the Democratic Republic of the
Congo;
(4) the Government of the Republic of Uganda must forthwith discontinue any act
having the aim or effect of disrupting, interfering with or hampering actions
intended to give the population of the occupied zones the benefit of their
fundamental human rights, and in particular their rights to health and education;
(5)the Government of the Republic of Uganda must cease forthwith all illegal
exploitation of the natural resources of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and
all illegal transfer of assets, equipment or persons to its territory;
(6) the Government of the Republic of Uganda must henceforth respect in full the
right of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to sovereignty, political
independence and territorial integrity, an d the fundamental rights and freedoms of
all persons on the territory of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.”
For the Republic of Uganda:
“First, that the circumstances of the case ar e not such as to require the exercise
by the Court of its powers under Article 41 of the Statute to indicate the provisional
measures.
Secondly, and in the alternative, that in any event there are substantial
considerations of judicial propriety which would prevent the Court from indicating the
provisional measures requested by the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Thirdly, the considerations of judicial propriety include the incompatibility of
the measures requested with the Lusaka Agreement, the obligations of which are
affirmed in Security Council resolution 1304, paragraphs 1 and 4.”
*
N OTE FOR THE PRESS
1. The public sitting will be held in the Grea t Hall of Justice of the Peace Palace in The
Hague, Netherlands. Mobile telephones and beepers are allowed in the courtroom provided they
are turned off or set on silent mode. Any offending device will be temporarily retained.
2. Members of the Press will be entitled to attend on presentation of a press card. The tables
reserved for them are situated on the far left of the public entrance of the courtroom.
3. Photographs may be taken for a few minutes at the opening and at the end of the sitting.
Television crews may film, but advance notice should be given to the Information Office (see
paragraph 8). - 3 -
4. In the Press Room, located on the ground fl oor of the Peace Palace (Room 5), the reading
of the Court’s decision will be relayed through a loudspeaker.
5. At the end of the sitting, a press release and the full text of the Order will be distributed in
the Press Room.
6. The above-mentioned documents will be simultaneously available on the Court’s website
(http://www.icj-cij.org).
7. Members of the Press who wish to make telephone calls may use the phone located in the
Press Room for collect calls or the public telephon es in the Post Office in the basement of the
Peace Palace.
8. Mr.Arthur Witteveen, First Secretary of the Court (tel: + 31 70 302 2336), and
Mrs. Laurence Blairon, Information Officer (tel: + 31 70 302 2337), are available to deal with any
requests for information and for making arrangements for television coverage.
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Armed activities on the territory of the Congo (Democratic Republic of Congo v. Uganda) - Request for the indication of provisional measures - Court to give its decision on Saturday 1 July 2000 at 11 a.m.