The International Criminal Court (hereinafter: ICC) has confirmed 39 charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity against Joseph Kony. Kony is the founder and leader of the Lord’s Resistance Army (hereinafter: LRA), an armed group that originated in Uganda. The decision was issued by Pre-Trial Chamber III on 6 November 2025.
This ruling is a significant procedural milestone, as it follows the first-ever confirmation of charges hearing held in absentia in the court’s history. The Chamber’s decision confirms there are substantial grounds to believe Kony is responsible for the alleged crimes and commits the case to a Trial Chamber. However, under the ICC’s Rome Statute, a trial cannot commence unless Kony, who has been at large since an arrest warrant was unsealed in 2005, is present in court.
The Confirmation of Charges in Absentia
The Pre-Trial Chamber III, composed of Judge Althea Violet Alexis-Windsor (Presiding), Judge Iulia Antoanella Motoc and Judge Haykel Ben Mahfoudh, issued the decision after a confirmation hearing held on 9 and 10 September 2025.
The ability to hold such a hearing in the suspect’s absence was established by the court to address situations where a suspect “cannot be found” and all reasonable steps have been taken to secure their appearance. This decision was affirmed by the ICC Appeals Chamber on 3 June 2025. During the proceedings, Kony was represented by Defence Counsel Peter Haynes.
The Chamber concluded that the evidence presented by the prosecution was sufficient to establish “substantial grounds to believe” that Joseph Kony is responsible for the crimes. The decision to commit the case to a Trial Chamber means that if Kony is ever apprehended, the case can proceed directly to trial without a new confirmation hearing.
Joseph Kony ICC: The Specific Charges
The 39 charges confirmed by the Chamber are alleged to have been committed in northern Uganda between 1 July 2002 and 31 December 2005. They are divided into two main categories.
Crimes Against Humanity
The charges include murder, enslavement, forced marriage as an inhumane act, forced pregnancy, rape, torture and persecution on political, age and gender grounds.
War Crimes
These charges include murder, intentionally directing attacks against a civilian population, pillaging, cruel treatment and the forced conscription or enlistment of children under the age of 15.
The Chamber specified Kony’s responsibility in two forms. He is charged as an “indirect co-perpetrator” or for ordering 29 charges related to systemic crimes and attacks by the LRA on a school and camps for internally displaced persons. He is also charged as a “direct perpetrator” for 10 counts against two victims who were allegedly forced to be his wives.
Profile of the Lord’s Resistance Army
The LRA was founded by Joseph Kony, an ethnic Acholi, in northern Uganda in 1987. The group’s ideology is often described as a syncretic mix of mysticism, Acholi nationalism and heterodox Christian fundamentalism. Its stated goal was to overthrow the government of President Yoweri Museveni and establish a theocratic state based on Kony’s interpretation of the Ten Commandments.
While initially gaining some support, the LRA quickly became notorious for its extreme violence against civilians, including in Kony’s own Acholi community. The group’s methods included mass abduction, mutilation and forcing children to kill, sometimes in ceremonial fashion.
According to United Nations figures cited in reports, the LRA’s insurgency resulted in more than 100.000 deaths and the abduction of 60.000 children. Other sources estimate that 66.000 children were forced to become soldiers and 2 million people were internally displaced between 1986 and 2009.
The LRA was pushed out of Uganda and its forces are now weakened and scattered, operating in remote areas of the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Central African Republic and South Sudan. Kony himself has not been seen publicly since 2006. The long-term impact of this insurgency has created profound and persistent challenges for governance and societal development in Uganda.
Outlook: A Precedent for Justice
The ICC’s decision to confirm charges in absentia against Joseph Kony sets a significant legal precedent while simultaneously highlighting the court’s structural limitations.
The Political Will Deficit: Ultimately, this legal step highlights the court’s core challenge: it lacks an enforcement mechanism of its own. The Kony case highlights the enduring tension between the establishment of international law and the reliance on the political will of states to enforce it. The in absentia hearing was a legal solution to a political problem—the failure to arrest Kony. While the charges are now confirmed, the barrier to a trial remains the same as it was in 2005: Joseph Kony is not in custody. This decision serves as a renewed call to states to cooperate and execute the court’s arrest warrant.
A New Model for “Cold Cases”: This historic procedure provides the ICC with a new tool. The 2005 warrant for Kony has been outstanding for two decades. This in absentia confirmation allows the legal process to advance, formally test and preserve evidence and create an official judicial record. It prevents a fugitive’s indefinite absence from completely blocking the course of justice. This mechanism could be applied to other long-term fugitives, ensuring that evidence is secured while it remains available.
A Frozen Trial: The decision commits Kony to trial, but the Rome Statute is explicit: the trial itself cannot happen without the accused. This creates a situation where the case is “trial-ready” but indefinitely frozen. Unless Kony is apprehended, the case will not advance to a verdict. This outcome provides a measure of legal and historical validation but falls short of delivering retributive justice or punishment.
