INTERNATIONAL COURTOFruSTICE
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. 2002118
5July 2002
Armed Activities on the Territory ofthe Congo (New Application: 2002)
(Democratie Republic of the Congo v. Rwanda)
Request for the indication of provisional measures
Court to announce its ruling on Wednesday 10 July 2002 at 3 p.m.
THE HAGUE, 5 July 2002. On Wednesday 10 July 2002, the International Court of
Justice (ICJ) will announce its ruling on the request for the indication of provisional measures
submitted by the Democratie Republic of the Congo (DRC) in the case concerning Anned
Activities on the Territory of the Congo (New Application: 2002) (Democratie Republic of the
Congo v. Rwanda).
A public sitting will take place at 3 p.m. at the Peace Palace in The Hague during which the
Court'sOrder will be read.
The merits of the dispute as submitted by the DRC in its Application concern "massive,
serious and flagrant violations of human rights and of international humanitarian law" resulting
"from acts of armed aggression perpetrated by Rwanda on the territory of the Democratie Republic
of the Congo in flagrant violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Democratie
Republic of the Congo, as guaranteed by the United Nations andOAU Charters".
*
Hearings on the request for the indication of provisional measures filed by the DRC on
28 May 2002 were held on 13and 14June.
During those hearings, the Democratie Republic of the Congo inter alia asked the Court "in
arder to prevent irreparable harm, ... to adjudge and declare that Rwanda must put an end to the
acts constituting grave, flagrant and massive violations, to the detriment of the Congolese people,
of the provisions of the normative instruments protecting human rights".
In support of its views, the DRC specifically invoked the following conventionthe
Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, the Convention on the
Eliminationof Ail Forms of Discrimination Against Women, the International Convention on the
Elimination of Ail Forms of Racial Discrimination, the Constitution of the World Health
Organization, the Constitution of Unesco, the Convention Against Torture and other Cruel,
Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.
Rwanda, for its part, indicatedt nothing that the Democratie Republic of the Congo has
produced links Rwanda to any of the activities that are alleged to have taken place". Rwanda -2-
stressed however that "the basis of [its] arguments ... is that [they] do not believe that there is a
jurisdictional basis for the current proceedings". Therefore, Rwanda requested "first, that the
Request of the Democratie Republic of the Congo for the indication of provisional measures should
be denied; and secondly, ... that, in view of the fact that the current proceedings are really an
abuse of the process of court, [Rwanda] pray[s] this Court to exercise its discretion and strike this
case from its List".
*
NOTE FOR THE PRESS
1. The public sitting will be held in the Great 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 deviee will be temporarilyretained.
2. Members of the Press may attend on presentation of a press card. The tables reserved for
them are situated to the far leftf the public entrance to the courtroom.
3. Photographs and TV shots may be taken for a few minutes at the opening the sitting. The
reading of the Court'sdecision will be displayed live on a large TV screen in the Press Room, located
on the ground floor of the Peace Palace (Room 5). In the Press Room, it will be possible for TV
crews to connect recording equipment directly to the Court's new video system, but advance
notice of this should be given to the Information Department. There is also a facility for the
connection of sound-only equipment to the Court's audio system during the reading.
4. Telephone calls may be made from the phone located in the Press Room (collect calls only)
or from the public payphones in the Post Office in the basement of the Peace Palace.
5. At the end of the sitting, a press release and a summary of the Order will be distributed in the
Press Room. The press release, the summary and the full text of the Order will be simultaneously
available on the Website of the Court (http://www.icj-cij.org).
6. Mr. Arthur Witteveen, First Secretary of the Court (tel: +31-70-302 2336), as well as
Mrs. Laurence Blairon and Mr. Boris Heim, Information Officers, are available to deal with any
requests from the Press (tel:+31-70-302 2337; e-mail address: [email protected]).
Armed activities on the territory of the Congo (New Application: 2002) (Democratic Republic of the Congo v. Rwanda) - Request for the indication of provisional measures - Court to announce its ruling on Wednesday 10 July 2002 at 3 p.m.