The last batch of Uganda soldiers withdrawing from DRC’s embattled Ituri region on May 19, 2003. The UN’s top court on February 9, 2022 ordered Uganda to pay the Democratic Republic of Congo USD325 million in reparations over a brutal war two decades ago.
Summary
- It must also pay $60 million for damage to natural resources, including the looting of coltan, a metallic ore used in phones and computers, and other raw materials; deforestation; and the destruction of wildlife.
The UN’s top court on Wednesday ordered Uganda to pay the Democratic Republic of Congo USD325 million over a brutal war two decades ago, just a fraction of what Kinshasa demanded.
The ruling by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) comes as a blow to DR Congo after it sought a massive USD11 billion in reparations over the devastating conflict that lasted from 1998 to 2003.
Judges said Kinshasa had failed to prove its African neighbour was directly responsible for any more than 15,000 of the hundreds of thousands of people believed to have died in the war.
“The court sets out the total amount of compensation awarded to the DRC, which is 325 million US dollars,” said Joan Donoghue, the chief judge of the Hague-based court.
Breaking down the figure, the court said Uganda must pay $225 million for damage to persons, including deaths, injuries and sexual violence, and $40 million for damage to property.