Armed activities on the territory of the Congo (Democratic Republic of Congo v. Rwanda) (Democratic Republic of Congo v. Burundi) - Extension of the time-limit for the filing of the Counter-Memorials

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INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE
Peace Palace, 2517 KJ The Hague. Tel: +31 (0)70 302 23 23. Cables: Intercourt,

The Hague. Fax: +31 (0)70 364 99 28. Telex: 32323. E-mail address:
[email protected]. Internet address: http://www.icj-cij.org.

Press Release
Unofficial

No. 2000/34
20 October 2000

Armed Activities on the Territo..n of the Congo
(Democratie Republie of the Congo v. Burundi)
(Democratie Republic of the Congo v. Rwanda)

Extension of the time-Iimit for the filing of the Counter-Memorials
of the Democratie Republie of the Congo

TIIE HAGUE, 20 October 2000. The President of the International Court of Justice (ICJ),
Judge Gilbert Guillaume, has, byOrders ofyesterday, extended to 23 January 2001 the time-llinit for the filing
of the Cmmter-Memorials of the Democratie Republic of the Congo on the questions of jurisdiction and

adrnissibilityn the cases conceming Anned Activities on the Territorv of the Congo (Democratie Republic of
the Congo v. Burundi) {Democratie Republic of the Congo v. Rwanda).

The time-limit for the filing of those written pleadings had initially been fixed at 23 October 2000. By
letters of 6 October 2000, the Democratie Republic of the Congo requested the Court to extend by a period not

exceeding four months the tirne-linrit for the filingits Counter-Memorials, indicating the reasons for that
request. The Governments of Burundi and Rwanda did not abject to the extension oftime-limit.

The subsequent procedure was reserved for :furtherdecision.

History of the proceedings

On 23 June 1999 the Democratie Republic of the Congo (DRC) filed in the Registry of the Court
Applications instituting proceedings against Burundi, Uganda and Rwanda, respectively, for "acts of armed
aggression perpetrated ... in flagrant violation of the United Nations Charter and of the Charter of the
Organization of African Unity (OAU)" (see Press Release 99/34 of 23 June 1999).

• In two cases (Democratie Republic of the Congo v. Burundi) and (Democratie Republic of the Congo v.
Rwanda), the respondent States (Burundi and Rwanda) informed the Court at the outset of their intention to
raîse preliminary objections to the jurisdictionof the Court and the admissîbility of the Applications.
Accordingly, by Orders of 21 October 1999, the Court decided that the written proceedings in these cases
should first address the questions ofjurisdiction and admissibility and ftxed 21 Apri12000 as the time-limit for

the filingof Memorials by Burundi and by Rwanda, and 23 October 2000 as the time-limit for the filing of
Counter-Memorials by the DRC. The Memorials of Burundi and of Rwanda were filed within the prescribed
time-lirnit.

The full textf the Orders will shortly be available on the Court'swebsite (http://www.icj-cij.org).

Information Office:

Mr. Arthur Witteveen, First Secretary (te+:31 70 302 2336)
Mrs. Laurence Blairon, Information Officer (tel: 31 70 302 2337)
E-mail address: [email protected]