ICC opens In absentia hearing against fugitive Ugandan warlord Joseph Kony

Prosecutors at the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Tuesday began presenting evidence against fugitive Ugandan rebel leader Joseph Kony in the tribunal’s first-ever in absentia hearing.

Kony, who remains at large, faces 39 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity for his role as leader of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), which terrorized northern Uganda and neighboring countries for decades.

ICC Prosecutor Leonie von Braun told judges that Kony bore direct responsibility for the group’s brutal campaign.

“When looking holistically at the evidence, there can't be any doubt. Mr. Kony commanded the LRA … He acted with intent and knowledge, which you can see from his own statement … his conduct is also of such a nature that it could only have been undertaken intentionally.”

The LRA, which first emerged in the 1980s, was notorious for abducting children to use as soldiers, mutilating civilians, and enslaving women. After being forced out of Uganda, the group spread violence into the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan, and the Central African Republic.

During the hearing, prosecutors presented graphic video evidence, including a police clip showing the body of a victim pulled from the rubble of a burned-out building. They argued that Kony orchestrated such atrocities through orders issued directly to his commanders.

The ICC first issued an arrest warrant for Kony in 2005, but he has evaded capture for nearly two decades. This week’s proceedings are not a trial but a confirmation of charges hearing, allowing judges to determine whether prosecutors have presented sufficient evidence.

Kony is being represented in absentia by a defense lawyer. Judges are expected to rule on the charges in the coming months, but a trial cannot begin unless Kony is taken into custody.