Uganda believes in the “excessive and unfounded” Congolese demand for justice – the world

The Ugandan representative to the United Nations Supreme Court, William Byaruhanga, admitted to the judges that his country was obligated to pay compensation, but added that the parties must “find common ground to determine the losses that can be properly attributed to Uganda”, until nine African countries intervened in the conflict.

The amount of more than 13,000 million requested by the Democratic Republic of the Congo is divided into various amounts, including the creation of a fund for direct victims and their families, as well as compensation for property damage and resource exploitation. Congolese citizens.

Byaruhanga said this amount would account for more than a third of Uganda’s GDP in 2019 and would have “devastating economic consequences” for the country. “The compensation must not exceed the compensatory capacities of Uganda or deprive the responsible persons of their livelihoods,” he added.

Kinshasa confirmed last Tuesday that Kampala is directly responsible for the killing of 180,000 Congolese during the armed conflict, a figure that today has been questioned by the legal representatives of Uganda.

Attorney Lawrence Martin told judges that the Democratic Republic of the Congo must specify “name, nationality, date, location and cause of death” for each of the deceased in order for them to be counted when calculating the total amount of direct compensation.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo brought the consequences of the Second Congo War to the Hague Tribunal in 1999, which ruled in 2005 that “the illegal Ugandan military intervention was of such magnitude and duration” that it was “a grave breach of the prohibition on the use of force” expressed in the United Nations Charter.

The talks of the past fifteen years between the two countries did not come to determine the amounts of compensation, and for this reason, the International Court of Justice will determine the amounts to be paid.

The oral hearings will continue on Friday with the input of many experts and will end next week with a second round of oral arguments from both countries.

The sixteen judges involved in the case (the fifteen permanent members of the International Court of Justice and one “special”) will later withdraw to discuss the ruling expected in the coming months.