afrol News, 17 June - The International Court of Justice (ICJ) today rejected a request of Congo Brazzaville, seeking the annulment of the investigation and prosecution measures taken by judicial authorities in France following a complaint for crimes against humanity and torture allegedly committed in the Central African country.

The case was filed in France by various human rights groups against Congolese President Denis Sassou Nguesso, Minister of the Interior Pierre Oba, and Presidential Guard Commander Blaise Adoua.

In its decision, the Court found, by 14 votes to one, there was no urgent need for the measures sought by the Congo, and added that its decision in no way prejudges the question of its jurisdiction to deal with the merits of the dispute, the court reported from The Hague, Netherlands.

In its 9 December 2002 petition, Brazzaville stated that France had no right to exercise its authority on Congolese territory, an equal sovereign state. The court has not yet ruled on this matter, the deliberation of which "could take up to one or two years", according to a Court spokesman.

The French case against President Sassou-Nguesso is based on events of May 1999, when thousands of Congolese who had fled fighting that had plagued Brazzaville since 1998 chose to return to the capital, taking advantage of a "humanitarian corridor" established by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.

Numerous sources present at the time determined that at least 350 individuals had "disappeared" during their return from exile. They have become known as the "Disparus du Beach" - those who disappeared from Brazzaville's port known as "le Beach" on the River Congo.

By staff writer

© afrol News

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