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Uganda Pays First War Repara ons Payment to DR Congo
from DAWN
Uganda Pays First War Reparations Payment to DR Congo
By Daniel Stewart
The International Court of Justice, which has its seat in The Hague, is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations
THE UGANDAN GOVERNMENT has made a fi rst payment of $65 million (€64.2 million) in war reparations to the Democratic Republic of Congo, part of the total $325 million (€321.1 million) pledged.
The fi gure has been imposed by the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the UN's highest judicial body for settling disputes between states. The court condemned Uganda for crimes perpetrated on Congolese soil during the Second Congo War (1998-2003).
The fi rst payment was made on September 1, according to the minutes of the Congolese Council of Ministers meeting on September 9, reports Bloomberg news agency.
These funds were reportedly transferred to a transitional account linked to the Congolese Ministry of Justice. DRC will create a fund "for
the compensation of victims of Uganda's
illegal activities" on Congolese soil, according to the minutes.
A spokesman for the Ugandan Ministry of Finance, Jim Mugunga, explained that he could not comment at this time on the status of the payment or confi rm its payment.
The ICJ decision stems from the 1999 complaint fi led against UGanda for the occupation of the eastern part of the country. The war reparations include: » $225 million for personal injury, » $40 million for property damage and » $60 million for damage to natural resources, according to the ruling last February.
Some 5.4 million people died as a result of the Second Congo War, most of them from starvation and disease. It was the largest confl ict in the history of the African continent, involving up to nine states as well as numerous irregular forces, and lasted from 1998 to 2003, when the Pretoria Accords were signed. However, several armed rebel groups are still active in eastern DRC, in confrontation with the Congolese Armed Forces. https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/ugandapays-fi rst-war-reparations-payment-to-dr-congo/ ar-AA11JLpO
