World Court rules Uganda violated rights in Congo

THE HAGUE (Reuters) - The U.N.'s highest court ruled on Monday that Uganda violated the sovereignty of the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo and was responsible for human rights abuses there during a 1998-2003 war. The court also found that Ugandan soldiers plundered Congo's natural resources and ordered Kampala to pay reparations. The Congo -- rich in gold, diamonds and timber -- was the battleground for rebels, local factions, tribes and several neighbouring countries, including Uganda, in a 1998-2003 war in which 4 million people died, mainly from hunger and disease. Congo took Uganda to the World Court, also known as the International Court of Justice, in 1999, accusing it of responsibility for human rights abuses and armed aggression and calling for compensation for looting and removal of property. full article on Reuters For more background on the issue, there is a really interesting article in a wikipedia page about the Democratic Republic of Congo and the origins of the conflicts.