Special to USAfrica magazine (Houston) and USAfricaonline.com, first Africa-owned, US-based newspaper published on the Internet.
Uganda to pay US$325m in reparations to DR Congo for role in war, UN court orders
The International Court of Justice, today February 9, 2022 ordered Uganda to pay reparations to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), as the final decision on the exact amount the country has to pay for the effects and consequences of Uganda’s roles in the brutal war of 1998 to 2003.
The United Nations’ top court ordered Uganda to pay $325 million (€284 million) thereby closing a 20-year-old court fight which began with a demand for $11 billion in 1999.
Uganda pleaded that such a payment could destroy its economy. However, Uganda’s invasion left hundreds of thousands of people dead and displaced millions.
At its height, the conflict drew in nine African countries, with Uganda and Rwanda backing rebel forces against the government in Kinshasa.
The Hague-based court ordered the African neighbors to negotiate reparations, but they could not reach an agreement. In 2015 the DRC took the case back to the ICJ for a final decision on the amount of compensation. The DRC insisted it wanted more than $11 billion in reparations.
The ICJ rules in disputes between countries, and its decisions are final and cannot be appealed.
USAfrica notes this decision has significant implications for many African countries where wars have led to deaths of thousands of human beings, demographic dislocations and human rights abuses. USAfricaonline.com with wire reports/AFP/Reuters/DW
