Uganda trial date set
Dec 09, 2004
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague has set hearing of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) territorial violation case against Uganda, for April 11 to 19 2005.
By Anne Mugisa
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague has set hearing of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) territorial violation case against Uganda, for April 11 to 19 2005.
Sources said Uganda has lined up Congolese witnesses, including one of DRC’s four vice-presidents, Jean Pierre Bemba, leader of the Congolese Liberation Movement (MLC).
The ICJ, which is the UN judicial organ, announced the hearing of the case on Monday. The DRC, under former President Laurent Kabila, sued Uganda in June 1999 over invading its territory, plundering it and massacring Congolese civilians.
Kabila said Uganda perpetrated its armed aggression against DRC in violation of the UN Charter and the Charter of the OAU.
The DRC sought compensation from Uganda for “looting, destroying, removal of property and persons†and “other unlawful actsâ€. It said it would determine at a later date the precise amount of the damage it suffered, and ask that the removed property be restored.
Uganda filed its defence consisting of three main issues, two of which the court ruled would be part of the April 2005 proceedings.
The two issues that Uganda tendered to the court are aggression by the DRC and attacks on her embassy premises and personnel in Kinshasa and attacks on her nationals.
The court said the third issue of the DRC violating the Lusaka agreement was not admissible.
Ends
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague has set hearing of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) territorial violation case against Uganda, for April 11 to 19 2005.
Sources said Uganda has lined up Congolese witnesses, including one of DRC’s four vice-presidents, Jean Pierre Bemba, leader of the Congolese Liberation Movement (MLC).
The ICJ, which is the UN judicial organ, announced the hearing of the case on Monday. The DRC, under former President Laurent Kabila, sued Uganda in June 1999 over invading its territory, plundering it and massacring Congolese civilians.
Kabila said Uganda perpetrated its armed aggression against DRC in violation of the UN Charter and the Charter of the OAU.
The DRC sought compensation from Uganda for “looting, destroying, removal of property and persons†and “other unlawful actsâ€. It said it would determine at a later date the precise amount of the damage it suffered, and ask that the removed property be restored.
Uganda filed its defence consisting of three main issues, two of which the court ruled would be part of the April 2005 proceedings.
The two issues that Uganda tendered to the court are aggression by the DRC and attacks on her embassy premises and personnel in Kinshasa and attacks on her nationals.
The court said the third issue of the DRC violating the Lusaka agreement was not admissible.
Ends