US embassy cable - 04KINSHASA1850

UNCLAS KINSHASA 001850 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ECON, PGOV, PREL, CG, RW, UG 
SUBJECT: UPDATE ON DRC SUIT AGAINST UGANDA AND RWANDA IN 
THE ICJ 
 
 1. (SBU)  The GDROC filed suit in the International Court of 
Justice (ICJ) in 1998 against both Rwanda and Uganda, 
demanding compensation for those two countries' military and 
economic interference in the eastern part of the Congo (North 
and South Kivu Provinces and Oriental Province, 
respectively).  Rwanda has chosen to ignore the suit, but the 
Ugandan government acknowledged it.  As recently as February 
2004, Uganda asked the DRC to drop the suit in favor of 
diplomatic negotiations to establish some form of 
compensation.  Local press articles October 2 and 4 noted 
that this issue apparently is again active, although the 
articles confined themselves to reiterating the history of 
how the suit came to be filed. 
 
2. (SBU)  PolCouns spoke October 2 with officials at the 
Ministry of Justice and in the Presidency, who said that the 
GDROC has just decided to apply to the ICJ to temporarily 
suspend (not/not drop) the suit, in order to facilitate 
compensation negotiations with Uganda.  The Ministry official 
indicated that the suspension requested is for 90 days, 
although he wasn't sure if the ICJ authorized such short 
suspensions. 
 
3. (SBU)  Comment:  A successful Uganda-Congo settlement of 
this issue may increase pressure on Rwanda to likewise try to 
reach a settlement, although, given that Rwanda has not even 
acknowledged the ICJ jurisdiction, such a settlement remains 
highly unlikely. 
MEECE