THE HAGUE (Reuters) – The International Court of Justice will decide on Wednesday if Uganda should pay over $11 billion in reparations to the Democratic Republic of Congo for its role in conflicts in Congo’s resource-rich Ituri province.
The ICJ, the United Nations’ highest court, deals with disputes between states. It will hand down its ruling in The Hague at 1400 GMT.
The long-running dispute was first brought before the court in 1999.
After lengthy proceedings, the ICJ ruled in 2005 that Uganda had violated international law by occupying parts of the eastern Congolese province with its own troops and supporting other armed groups during a war that continued from 1998 to 2003.
The court ordered the African neighbours to negotiate reparations, but in 2015 Congo returned to the tribunal, saying the talks were not progressing. The parties are now seeking a final decision on the amount of compensation.
Uganda said in hearings in April that Congo’s multi-billion claim could ruin its economy and that Congo had not provided sufficient evidence of the losses it had suffered.
Congo is seeking compensation not only on behalf of the alleged victims of Uganda’s involvement in the conflict but also for macroeconomic losses, loss of natural resources and harm to wildlife.
(Reporting by Stephanie van den Berg; Editing by Kevin Liffey)
