ICJ orders Uganda to pay $325m for Congo occupation

Tags: International News

• The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has held Uganda guilty of occupying parts of Democratic Republic of Congo from 1998 to 2003.

• Uganda was held responsible for the deaths of 10-15000 people  in the eastern Ituri region of Congo  and for looting its gold, diamonds and timber .

• The ICJ has ordered Uganda to pay $ 325 million as compensation to  Democratic Republic of Congo.

•  Congo filed a case against Uganda in 1999 for acts of armed aggression committed against it and its citizens. It accused Ugandan soldiers of looting and human rights violations.

• The ICJ  decision is final but it has no power to enforce its decision .

International Court of Justice (ICJ)

• The International Court of Justice is also called the World Court, and is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations.
• It was set up in 1945 
• Its headquarters: The Hague, Netherlands .
• It hears cases relating to disputes between member countries  but it has no power to enforce its decision.

Uganda 

• It is a landlocked country in Eastern Africa. It is the second most populous landlocked country after Ethiopia in the world .
• Capital : Kampala 
• Currency : Ugandan Shilling 

Democratic Republic of Congo 

• It is located in Central Africa . It is the second largest country in Africa after Algeria .
• Capital : Kinshasa. It is on the bank of River Congo 
• Congo is the only river in the world to cross the equator twice .  
• Currency : Congo franc