Congo Refers Crimes Situation to ICC Prosecutor and U.S. Abandons U.N. Immunity Request

On April 19, 2004, Luis Moreno Ocampo, the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), received a letter from the President of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) referring to him the circumstances of crimes allegedly committed anywhere in the territory of the DRC that fall within the jurisdiction of the ICC since the entry into force of the Rome Statute on July 1, 2002. In July 2003, Mr. Ocampo announced, after his receipt of several communications from individuals and non-governmental organizations, that he would closely monitor the situation in the DRC, indicating his prioritization of the situation. Thereafter, his Office has continued its work in analyzing the situation in the DRC, especially in Ituri.