By Spy Uganda
On 9 February 2022, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) which is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations, will deliver its Judgment on the question of reparations in the case concerning Armed Activities on the Territory of the Congo (Democratic Republic of the Congo v. Uganda).
According to the statement issued by the ICJ, a public sitting of the Court will take place at 3 p.m. at the Peace Palace in Hague, during which the President of the ICJ, Judge Joan E. Donoghue, will read out the Court’s decision.
“In view of the current COVID-19 pandemic, only Members of the Court and representatives of the Parties will be present in the Great Hall of Justice. Members of the diplomatic corps, the media and the public will be able to follow the reading through a live webcast on the Court’s website, as well as on UN Web TV,” adds the statement.
The principal judicial organ of the UN on July 1, 2015, decided to resume proceedings in the case Armed Activities on the Territory of Democratic Republic of Congo vs Uganda, initiated on June 23, 1999.
The presence of Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces in the DRC from the 1990s to June 2003 led to accusations that the soldiers were destroying property, killing or injuring Congolese and illegally exploiting natural resources.
The ICJ judgment of 2005 found Uganda was under obligation to make reparations to the DRC for the injury caused for violation of human rights and the principle of non-use of force among others.
The DRC was also found to be under obligation to make reparations to Uganda for the injury caused by the country’s violation of obligations incumbent upon it under the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.
