Uganda has been ordered to pay $325m (£240m) to the Democratic Republic of Congo for its role in the conflict there. The DRC originally filed a complaint against Uganda in 1999, claiming that they were violating human rights and looting. Today, the International Center of Justice ordered Uganda to pay five annual installments of $65m between 2022 and 2026, with the first installment due in September. They had ruled that Uganda violated international norms as an occupying force between the years 1998 and 2003. The judges found Uganda was responsible for the deaths of 10 to 15,000 people in the eastern Ituri region.
In its judgment, the court said: “The reparation awarded to the DRC for damage to persons and to property reflects the harm suffered by individuals and communities as a result of Uganda’s breach of its international obligations.” The reparation fees also include the looting of natural resources; Ugandan troops were also found to have looted gold, diamonds, and timber.
The DRC originally filed a complaint against Uganda in 1999, claiming that they were violating human rights and looting. They had originally demanded $11bn but judges dismissed several parts of the claim and decided on a far lower amount. Uganda dismissed the verdict as unfair. With Attorney General Kiryowa Kiwanuka claiming they were maintaining the violence to avoid the past conflict from overflowing into their territories. He did not disclose if Uganda would pay the reparations but said they will continue to “engage with” the Congolese government to resolve the issue. The courts’ decision is labeled as final however BBC sources say that the World Court has little to no intention of enforcing the verdict.
