ICC confirms charges against fugitive Ugandan rebel leader Joseph Kony

Judges at the International Criminal Court have confirmed war crimes and crimes against humanity charges against Ugandan rebel leader Joseph Kony, paving the way for a trial — though only if he is captured.

A three-judge panel ruled that there are “substantial grounds” to believe Kony is responsible for 29 counts of atrocities, including murder, rape and sexual enslavement, committed while he led the Lord’s Resistance Army, the militia that terrorized northern Uganda and later parts of Central Africa.

Deputy prosecutor Mame Mandiaye Niang said the LRA’s campaign left deep scars on communities, noting that “the social and cultural fabric of Northern Uganda has been torn apart and it is still struggling to rebuild itself.” The hearing marked the first time the ICC held proceedings in absentia.

Kony rose to global notoriety in 2012 after an online campaign highlighting his crimes went viral, yet despite years of international pursuit, he remains at large. His court-appointed lawyers argued that holding the hearing without him violated his right to a fair trial, saying the “empty chair” in the courtroom hindered their ability to mount a defense.

The case is seen as a major test for the ICC as it explores how to advance proceedings in situations where suspects are unlikely to be arrested. The LRA insurgency began in the 1980s, spreading violence from Uganda into Congo, South Sudan and the Central African Republic, and became infamous for abducting children, mutilating civilians and enslaving women.