The International Criminal Court (ICC) has officially confirmed thirty-nine charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity against Joseph Kony, the leader of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA).
This becomes the first time the Hague-based Court is confirming charges against a suspect in absentia. However, court officials noted that the trial cannot proceed unless Kony is arrested and brought into custody.
Kony and his LRA are accused of unleashing a wave of terror that claimed the lives of over 100,000 people in Northern Uganda and neighboring countries.
Following the ICC announcement, several victims and survivors once again called for Kony’s immediate arrest, saying justice has taken too long.
“He should first be arrested and all these charges brought against him. Many of us who suffered are still waiting for justice, but some victims are already dying without seeing it,” one of the survivors said.
Joseph Kony has not appeared in public for nearly 20 years, and there are still uncertainties about whether he is alive or dead.
More updates will follow as the case continues to unfold.