Prosecutors at the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Tuesday began presenting evidence against fugitive Ugandan rebel leader Joseph Kony, marking the tribunal’s first-ever in absentia hearing.
Kony, founder and commander of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), is wanted on 39 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity, including murder, rape, enslavement, and the conscription of child soldiers. The LRA, which rose to prominence in the late 1980s, terrorised northern Uganda before spreading its brutal campaign into the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan, and the Central African Republic.
ICC Prosecutor Leonie von Braun told judges that Kony’s leadership and intent were evident. “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,” she said.
Prosecutors presented graphic video material during the hearing, including police footage showing the body of a victim recovered from the ruins of a burned-out building. They argued the atrocities were carried out under Kony’s direct orders to his commanders.
The ICC first issued an arrest warrant for Kony in 2005, but despite multiple regional and international manhunts, he has eluded capture for nearly two decades. This week’s proceedings are not a trial but a confirmation of charges hearing, designed to allow judges to determine whether prosecutors have presented sufficient evidence to proceed.
Kony is represented in absentia by a defence lawyer. Judges are expected to rule in the coming months, but a trial cannot begin unless Kony is arrested and brought before the court.
Melissa Enoch
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