After more than 30 years: Iraq has paid war reparations to Kuwait

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US soldiers in the Saudi Arabian desert during the 1990 Gulf War

Photo: PASCAL GUYOT/ AFP

After more than 30 years, Iraq has paid all war reparations to Kuwait from the 1990 Gulf War.

A UN commission presented a report in Geneva on Wednesday according to which Iraq paid a total of 45.9 billion euros.

On August 2, 1990, the Iraqi army invaded the neighboring emirate.

Iraqi ruler Saddam Hussein declared Kuwait the 19th

province« of his country.

Seven months later, the annexation ended after intervention by an international military coalition led by the United States.

In 1991, the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 692, in which compensation payments for Kuwait were determined and administered by a commission.

The UN commission collected the money through a five percent tax on oil and other oil industry products.

The money was paid to individuals, businesses, government agencies and other organizations harmed by the Iraqi invasion.

Since the Gulf War, 2.7 million compensation claims have been filed.

One seventh of the amounts requested were granted to the applicants.

The final report of the UN commission states that the reparations contributed to a "reconciliation" after the war and "showed the importance of international law".

kim/AFP/Reuters