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, founder and commander of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), faces 39 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity, including murder, rape, enslavement, and the recruitment of child soldiers. The LRA, which emerged in the late 1980s, waged a violent campaign across northern Uganda and later expanded into the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan, and the Central African Republic.
ICC Prosecutor Leonie von Braun told judges that evidence clearly showed Kony’s leadership and intent. “There can’t be any doubt. Mr. Kony commanded the LRA … He acted with intent and knowledge,” she said. Prosecutors also presented graphic video material, including police footage of a victim recovered from a burned building, arguing the crimes were carried out on Kony’s direct orders.
The ICC issued its first arrest warrant for Kony in 2005, but he has remained at large despite extensive regional and international manhunts. This week’s proceedings are confirmation of charges hearings, meant to determine whether sufficient evidence exists to move forward.
Kony is represented in absentia by a defence lawyer. Judges are expected to issue a decision in the coming months, though a trial cannot begin until he is arrested and brought before the court.
