Uganda has to pay 325 million dollars (284 million euros) in compensation to neighboring Congo for its role during the Congolese civil war, which began in the late 1990s. This was determined by the United Nations International Court of Justice (IGH) on Wednesday, international news agencies report. The ruling on the amount of the compensation comes fifteen years after the ICJ ruled that Ugandan troops in Congo had violated international law.
The largest part of the amount, 225 million dollars, is intended for relatives of the deceased and victims of human rights violations. These include people who have been raped, who were forced to join the army as children and up to 500,000 people who became homeless as a result of the conflict. In addition, $40 million will go towards property damage and $60 million will be used to compensate for damage to natural resources. During the war Ugandan soldiers looted gold, diamonds, wood and other raw materials from Congo.
Congolese Civil War
The Congolese civil war broke out in eastern Congo in 1998 and lasted until 2003. The outbreak of violence had its origin in the Rwandan genocide four years earlier. Nine African countries, including Uganda, became involved in the conflict. For Uganda, the longstanding alliance with Rwanda and the fear that Ugandan rebels would hide in eastern Congo were the main reasons for joining the battle. In 2005 the ICJ established that Ugandan soldiers in Congo had killed civilians and had failed to distinguish between military and civilian targets. The judge also ruled that Uganda, as an occupying power, had not taken any measures to guarantee human rights and international law.
In recent years, Uganda and Congo have argued about the amount of compensation. Because the countries could not reach an agreement among themselves, Congo asked the International Court of Justice in 2015 to determine the amount of compensation. The amount of $325 million set on Wednesday is much lower than the $11 billion demanded by Congo. Both countries cannot appeal the ruling.