International Criminal Court completes first visit

A team from the International Criminal Court completed its first official visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo on Friday, the court said. The team was composed of Deputy Prosecutor Serge Brammertz and representatives of the court's registry. They arrived in Kinshasa, the capital, on 26 July and held closed-door talks with Congolese political and judicial authorities on cooperation between the country and branches of the court. In addition, the team consulted diplomats, representatives from NGOs and those of civil society. It has been silent on the details of the discussions. The visit follows the 23 June announcement by the court's chief prosecutor, Luis Moreno-Ocampo, that the court would launch its first investigation, since its establishment, to probe alleged violations of international law committed in the Congo since 1 July 2001. The court's jurisdiction is restricted by the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court that came into effect on 1 July 2002. As a result, the court can only judge cases for crimes committed after this date. In September 2003, Moreno-Ocampo had said the court could "contribute to the ongoing peace process and ultimately yield stability for the DRC, fostering not just political stability but also healthy markets".