International Court of Justice faces alleged crimes of warlord Kony from Uganda

In a significant development, the International Criminal Court (ICC) held a historic hearing in absentia for Joseph Kony, the former head of the infamous Lord's Resistance Army (LRA). The LRA, notorious for its marauding insurgency against the Ugandan government, is associated with over 100,000 deaths and 60,000 child abductions, according to the United Nations.

Kony, indicted by the ICC in 2005, faces 39 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity, with the alleged crimes committed between July 2002 and December 2005 in northern Uganda. The hearing is the first ever held in absentia at the ICC.

Stella Angel Lanam, a victim of LRA captivity who is now a director of a group offering counselling to victims, expressed hope for justice. "Even though we have passed through a lot, we cannot lose hope," she stated. Another victim, Everlyn Ayo, now 39, was a five-year-old schoolgirl when she was caught in an LRA attack. She became a "night commuter," one of thousands of children who trekked every night to shelters to avoid the horrors of the LRA.

Kony's defence team considers the current hearing as an "enormous expense of time, money, and effort for no benefit at all." However, prosecutors believe that holding a hearing could lead to a quicker trial if Kony were ever to be found and brought to the Hague.

The last-known appearance of Kony was in 2006 when he told a Western journalist he was "not a terrorist" and that stories of LRA brutality were "propaganda." In June 2024, a UN panel of experts reported that Kony had likely left Sudan due to the civil war there and relocated to a remote part of the Central African Republic. Despite extensive searches, his current whereabouts remain unknown.

The LRA is known for its acts of brutality, including forcing children to hack or bite others to death, cannibalism, and drinking blood. These horrific acts have left a deep scar on the lives of many, like Stella Angel Lanam, who was captured by the LRA at the age of 10 and forced to become a child soldier.

Prosecutors hope a hearing will allow victims a sense of justice, a feeling shared by Stella Angel Lanam. "Will the government or Kony repair me back to the way I was? No. But at least I will get justice," she stated. As the ICC continues its pursuit of justice for the victims of the LRA, the hope is that this historic hearing will bring some closure to the many lives affected by the LRA's brutal campaign.