ICRC News 05 / 17-Feb-00

Republic of the Congo
Assistance for refugees from the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Fleeing the ongoing fighting in Equateur province, in the Democratic
Republic of the Congo, combatants and civilians have crossed the river
Oubangui and sought refuge in the Republic of the Congo. Since the ICRC had
heard from various sources that there were many wounded among the refugees,
from 10 to 12 February two delegates based in Brazzaville visited Impfondo,
800 kilometres north of the Congolese capital. 

The purpose of the trip was to assess the situation and, if necessary, to
deliver medicines and medical equipment. Contrary to what the alarming
reports had led them to expect, however, the delegates found only two
war-wounded on the spot. They nonetheless decided to give the Impfondo
hospital the supplies they had brought along since it was the only medical
facility in the region and was facing severe shortages.

Further information: Juan Martinez, ICRC Geneva, tel. ++ 41 22 730 22 81 
 mobile phone: ++ 41 79 232 17 32 


Award of the Paul Reuter Prize

The 2000 Paul Reuter Prize for outstanding work in the sphere of
international humanitarian law was awarded on 12 February to Ilias
Bantekas, lecturer in law at the University of Westminster, for his thesis
entitled Principles of Individual Responsibility for Violations of
International Humanitarian Law after the ICTY [International Criminal
Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia].

Mr Bantekas' thesis was chosen because it examines virtually every case in
which international humanitarian law has been applied and interpreted and
deals with a subject of great topicality. The thesis will be a mine of
information for legal experts concerned with the implementation of
humanitarian law and with the responsibility of individuals under those
rules.

The Reuter Fund was set up in 1983 through a donation made to the ICRC by
the late Paul Reuter, Professor Emeritus at the University of Paris and
member of the Institute of International Law. Its purpose is twofold: to
encourage the publication of works on international humanitarian law or
other initiatives in that field and to finance the Paul Reuter Prize, which
is worth 2,000 Swiss francs and is awarded every three years.

This is the sixth time that the Reuter Prize has been awarded since the
Fund was set up. It will be presented to Mr Bantekas by ICRC President
Jakob Kellenberger at a ceremony in June. 

Further information: Jean Perrenoud, ICRC Geneva, tel. ++ 41 22 730 26 69


During the weekend of 19 - 20 February 2000, for all information please
call the press officer on duty Corinne Adam, on (mobile) 41 79 202 36 80