JURIST - Paper Chase: ICJ rules Uganda violated sovereignty, rights in Congo

[JURIST] The International Court of Justice [official website], ruled Monday that Uganda violated the sovereignty of the Democratic Republic of Congo during a 1998-2003 war [BBC backgrounder] and was responsible for human rights abuses and the plundering of Congolese natural resources. The UN court ordered Uganda to pay reparations for the plunder of the Congo's gold, diamonds and timber; a spokesman for the Congo said Monday that it would seek $6-10 billion in compensation. In its binding judgment [PDF text; summary], the ICJ found that Uganda violated the principles of non-use of force and non-intervention in international relations and that it violated its obligations under international human rights law and international humanitarian law and other obligations owed to the Congo. The Court also ruled that the Congo violated obligations owed to Uganda under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961 [text]. The Congo brought Uganda before the ICJ [application, PDF] in 1999, saying that Ugandan forces were responsible for killings, torture and other rights abuses and asking for compensation for the removal of property. The ICJ has a press release on the decision and case materials. Reuters has more.

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