Uganda has rejected findings of wrongdoing by the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF) in DRC, and said it considers yesterday’s judgment by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) “unfair and wrong.”
In a statement released by the Foreign Affairs Ministry, government said the decision by the ICJ is a good example of outsiders interfering in African affairs.
“In Uganda’s view, the court’s judgment on reparation does not contribute to peace and security, or the spirit of cooperation between the two countries and in the wider Great Lakes Region. Nor does it inspire confidence in the court as the fair and credible arbiter of international disputes that the framers of the UN Charter intended it to be,” reads the statement in part
![](https://dailyshineug.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Kiryowa-Kiwanuka-AG-1.jpg)
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Wednesday ordered Uganda to pay the Democratic Republic of Congo-DRC $325 million (Sh 1 trillion) in reparation for the effects of the 1998-2003 war.
The judgment was read by the court’s president, Justice Joan E Donoghue. The panel of judges includes Ugandan, Julia Sebutinde.
“The court notes that 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,” reads the judgment in part.
The DRC Government dragged Uganda to the International Court in 1999 and in 2005 the court ruled that Uganda had to pay compensation for invading Congo. The court asked the two neighboring countries to settle compensation out of court but negotiations failed hence returning the case to the court to determine the reparations.
The Congo demanded 11 billion dollars in damages from a war that left hundreds of thousands of her people dead and millions displaced.
Uganda can pay the amount in installments of 65 million dollars annually.
![](https://dailyshineug.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Kiryowa-Kiwanuka-AG.jpg)
In 1998, a war erupted in DRC with Uganda and other neighbors like Rwanda and Burundi participating directly and indirectly by supporting several groups fighting then-president Joseph Kabila.
During the war, Uganda was accused of committing internationally wrongful acts against the people of Congo. Consequently, in a 2005 judgment, the court found Uganda liable for committing internationally wrongful acts which resulted in injury to the DRC and to persons on its territory.
The acts included illegal use of force, violation of sovereignty and territorial integrity, military intervention, occupation of Ituri, violations of international human rights law and of international humanitarian law, looting, plunder, and exploitation of the DRC’s natural resources.