Uganda has been ordered to pay $325 million to the Democratic Republic of Congo for its role in the country’s conflict by the International Court of Justice.
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) concluded on Wednesday, February 9, that Uganda had broken international law as an occupying army in the eastern Ituri region between 1998 and 2003, and that Uganda was liable for the deaths of 10-15,000 people.
Ugandan troops allegedly took gold, gems, and timber, according to the court.
The DR Congo, which sued Uganda in court, sought $11 billion, but the courts invalidated several portions of the claim and settled on a lower figure: five yearly instalments of $65 million from 2022 to 2026, with the first payment due in September 2022.
Uganda defended itself by claiming that the billions asked by DR Congo would bankrupt the country. The court stated that its order would be “within Uganda’s ability to pay.”
According to the court verdict, the total $325 million includes: -$225 million in damages to persons, -$40 million in property damages, and -$60 million in looted resources.
The court stated in its decision:
“The DRC’s judgement for damages to persons and property recognizes the harm caused to individuals and communities as a result of Uganda’s violation of international responsibilities.”
For decades, armed factions have wreaked devastation in the mineral-rich eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Ugandan and Rwandan armies invaded the Democratic Republic of Congo twice in the 1990s, partnering with local militias to overthrow the government. They claimed that they acted to prevent the violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo from spreading across their borders.
The court said on Wednesday that its verdict is definitive and that there would be no appeal.