INTERNATIONAL COURTOFJUSTICE
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:
mail@icj-cij .org. Internet address: http://www.icj-cij .org.
Press Release
Unofficial
No. 200112
1 February 2001
Armed Activities on the Territory of the Congo (Democratie Republic of the
Congo v. Burundi) and ,!Democratie Republic ofthe Congo v. Rwanda)
The two casesare removed from the List at the reguest of the Democratie
Republic of the Congo
THE HAGUE, 1 February 2001. The cases that the Democratie Republic of the Congo (DRC)
brought on 23 June 1999 before the International Court of Justice {ICJ) against Burundi and Rwanda
in respectf disputes conceming "acts of armed ag;gression perpetrated by [those States] on the
territory the [DRC], in flagrant violation of the United Nations Charter and of the Charter of the
Organizationof African Unity" have been removed from the Court's List at the request of the DRC.
By Orders of21 October 1999, the Court, taking into account the agreement reached between
the Parties, decided that the written proceedings would frrst be addressed to the questions of the
Court's jurisdiction and the admissibility of the Applications, and fixed time-limits for the filing of
those written proceedingBurundi and Rwanda filed their Memorials within the time-limits fixed
for that purpose.
By letters dated 15 January 2001, the Government of the DRC notified the Court that it
intended to discontinue the two proceedings.
Copies of those letters were irnrnediately communicated to the Govemments of Burundi and of
Rwanda, which were informed thathe President of the Court, acting pursuant to the Rules of Court,
had fixed 23 January 2001 as the time-limit within which Burundi and Rwanda could state whether
they opposed the discontinuance .
• By letters dated 19 and 22 January 2001 respecti vely, Burundi and Rwanda infoirned the Court
that they concurrinthe discontinuance.Consequently, on 30 January 2001, the President of the
Court made an Order ineach case placing on record the discontinuance of the proceedings and
ordering that the case be removed from the List.
The case conceming Armed Activities on the Territory of the Congo (Democratie Republic of
the Congo v. Uganda), which bad been brought before the Court on the same day as the two
above-mentioned cases, remains the Court's List.
Website of the Court: http://www.icj-cij.org
Information Department:
Mr. Arthur Witteveen,irst Secretary (+ 31 70 302 23 36)
Mrs. Laurence Blairon, Information Officer (+0 302 23 37)
E-mail address: [email protected]
Armed activities on the territory of the Congo (Democratic Republic of Congo v. Burundi) - The two cases are removed from the List at the request of the Democratic Republic of the Congo