The case, titled "Armed Activities on the Territory of the Congo (Democratic Republic of the Congo v. Uganda)", emerged from the Second Congo War, a regional conflict that drew in multiple African countries and caused widespread human suffering across Central and Eastern Africa.
The DRC accused Uganda of violating its sovereignty through military intervention in eastern Congo, supporting rebel groups, committing human rights abuses and engaging in the illegal exploitation of natural resources.
Uganda rejected the allegations and filed counter-claims, arguing that the DRC had failed to prevent armed groups from carrying out cross-border attacks into Ugandan territory and had violated diplomatic protections for Ugandan officials in Kinshasa.
The case proceeded over several years and became one of the longest-running disputes before the ICJ involving African states.
On December 19, 2005, the ICJ ruled largely in favour of the DRC, finding that Uganda had violated international law through its military activities in Congolese territory and had failed to meet its obligations as an occupying power in parts of eastern Congo.
The court also upheld some of Uganda’s counter-claims, including concerns over attacks on its embassy and diplomatic personnel.
Following the judgment, the matter shifted to reparations, with negotiations between the two governments continuing for years without agreement.
On February 9, 2022, the ICJ issued its final ruling on compensation, ordering Uganda to pay the DRC US$325 million in damages for loss of life, injuries, sexual violence, recruitment of child soldiers, destruction of property and looting of natural resources.
The amount was structured into five annual instalments of US$65 million, scheduled from September 2022 to September 2026. Uganda accepted the ruling and began payments as ordered by the court.
The case remains one of the most significant examples of an African state successfully pursuing another through international legal mechanisms, while also underscoring the enduring human and economic consequences of the Second Congo War.