Uganda, Congo to negotiate reparations after ICJ ruling News
Uganda, Congo to negotiate reparations after ICJ ruling

[JURIST] Uganda [JURIST news archive] announced Thursday it would commence reparation negotiations with the Democratic Republic of Congo [JURIST news archive] in late 2006, following Monday's International Court of Justice ruling [JURIST report; PDF text] that Uganda violated Congo's sovereignty during a 1998-2003 war [BBC backgrounder] and was responsible for human rights abuses and the plundering of Congolese natural resources. A top civil servant in the Ugandan foreign affairs ministry reiterated the country's claim that it acted in self-defense, saying "We reject all those accusations but we shall sort them out in the negotiations. Our troops were there to liberate Congo and defend our sovereignty … It is going to be a slow and quiet negotiation involving no third parties." Congolese officials have demanded reparations [JURIST report] of between 6 to 10 billion dollars. The ICJ says it will establish the amount of reparations itself if the two nations cannot agree. AP has more.

THIS DAY @ LAW

Laws of Burgos put into effect

The Spanish Crown put the Laws of Burgos into effect on December 27, 1512. These laws governed the relationship of Spanish settlers with the indigenous peoples of the Caribbean. The laws established the encomienda system of labor, promoted conversion to Catholicism, and safeguarded the indigenous peoples from physical abuse.  However, historians argue that the laws were ineffective at protecting the rights of the indigenous population. Learn more from the Library of Congress.

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World Bank created

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