ICC Confirms 39 War Crimes Charges Against Fugitive Ugandan Warlord Joseph Kony

The International Criminal Court has confirmed 39 charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity against fugitive Ugandan warlord Joseph Kony, including murder, enslavement, and torture. Kony, leader of the Lord’s Resistance Army, led a brutal campaign in northern Uganda between 2002 and 2005 that left over 100,000 people dead and 60,000 children abducted. Although a trial would normally follow, it cannot proceed because Kony has been missing since 2006 and may no longer be alive.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) announced on Thursday that it has confirmed all 39 charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity against fugitive Ugandan warlord Joseph Kony. The charges include murder, enslavement, torture, and other grave offenses. Kony, who led the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), is accused of orchestrating a brutal campaign of terror across northern Uganda between July 2002 and December 2005, leaving a lasting scar on the region and its people.

According to the ICC, these charges are based on substantial evidence of widespread atrocities committed under Kony’s leadership. The confirmation of charges marks an important legal step in holding him accountable for his actions, although the court faces a major obstacle — Kony’s long-standing disappearance. Under ICC rules, a trial can only proceed if the accused is present in court, and Kony has not been seen in public since 2006, making it impossible for proceedings to advance at this stage.

Judges at The Hague stated that there were “reasonable grounds to believe” Kony was responsible for 29 of the confirmed charges as an indirect co-perpetrator. These specific allegations relate to a series of violent attacks carried out by the LRA on a school and several camps for internally displaced persons. The attacks involved killings, torture, sexual and gender-based violence, and the forced recruitment of children under the age of 15 into the group’s ranks.

Kony’s leadership of the Lord’s Resistance Army was marked by extreme brutality. The group’s rebellion against the Ugandan government led to the deaths of more than 100,000 people and the abduction of an estimated 60,000 children, many of whom were forced to become soldiers or subjected to sexual slavery, according to United Nations reports. Entire communities were destroyed, and the conflict displaced millions of civilians across Uganda and neighboring countries.

Kony’s last known public appearance dates back to 2006, when he granted a rare interview to a Western journalist. During that conversation, he denied being a terrorist and dismissed reports of atrocities committed by the LRA as mere “propaganda.” Since then, his whereabouts have remained a mystery, and it is unclear whether he is even still alive. Despite years of international efforts, including military operations and arrest warrants, Joseph Kony has managed to evade capture for nearly two decades, symbolizing one of the most enduring failures of international justice.