POLITICS | FDC | KIKONYOGO

KAMPALA - The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) should pay Uganda for deploying troops in DRC territory for peace stabilisation, the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party has said.

FDC spokesperson John Kikonyogo says Uganda invests a lot of money in keeping peace in sections of DRC such as Goma, but that it gains nothing in return. Kikonyogo says Uganda further risks the lives of her soldiers, which also affects their family members.

He made the remarks while addressing journalists in a weekly briefing at the party’s headquarters in Najjanankumbi, Kampala on Monday.

Kikonyogo reasoned that on the $325 million fine that was slapped on Uganda for invading DRC and allegedly stealing timber and some minerals, DR Congo should call off the debt in compensation for Uganda’s endless efforts to protect and promote security.

"These are the people who are owing us money; we are now busy helping them. We are keeping DR Congo safe, but gaining nothing," he said.

The court case

Last year, the United Nations’ top court ordered Uganda to pay DRC $325 million (about shillings 1.1 trillion) in reparations over a brutal war between the neighbours that began in the late 1990s.

The compensation order came more than 15 years after the UN court ruled in a complex 119-page judgement that fighting by Ugandan troops in DRC violated international law. 

In 2005, the ICJ ruled that Uganda had to pay reparations.

The sum awarded was well below the request of more than $11 billion in damages that the DRC had demanded the occupation of its volatile north-eastern Ituri region.

The court broke down the compensation into different categories of damages. It assessed $225m for "loss of life and other damage to persons," which included rape, conscription of child soldiers and the displacement of up to 500,000 people.

Kikonyogo said with all these fines, Uganda cannot act in such a manner to pay off the debts but continue offering free services.

He revealed that no country can work for free unless there is something behind it. 

According to Kikonyogo, US sends her troops abroad with 'hopes of getting oil or gold in return,' which is quite different from Uganda.

So far, Uganda, according to Kikonyogo, has spent sh90b in Operation Shujaa, intended to fight the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), but nothing special has been seen.

He added that this is money the country could have used to develop herself rather than spend it elsewhere leaving her economy and infrastructure suffocating.