By Willy Chowoo
With the date for the confirmation of charges against Joseph Kony, the leader of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) rebels, set for September 9, 2025, both the Office of the Prosecutor at the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the defense team are yet to locate Kony.
Maria Mabnity Kamara, ICC Field Outreach Coordinator for Uganda, confirms that they have been unable to communicate with Joseph Kony, Peter Haynes. Kamara notes that Kony’s whereabouts remain unknown. Haynes, assigned by the court to safeguard Kony’s rights and interests in the interest of justice, has also not been in contact with his client.
“We are making efforts to ensure that he is aware of the new date that has been set – the lawyer of Joseph Kony does not know his whereabouts, the court does not know his whereabouts”, Kamara adds
Kamara explained that the ICC has intensified outreach efforts to ensure Kony is informed about the date of the confirmation of hearing of charges against him. The campaign has been conducted in regions where Kony is believed to be hiding, including the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and South Sudan.
“We have been working with various stakeholders to disseminate this information,” Kamara stated. “Through media engagement and direct interactions with communities in these regions, we aim to notify him of the proceedings.”
This outreach initiative followed directives from ICC judges, who instructed the implementation of a communication strategy to ensure Kony is aware of the new hearing date.
Despite multiple efforts to apprehend Kony, Leonie Van Braun, Senior Trial Lawyer at the ICC, recently emphasized that they remain committed to ensuring his arrest. “We have reinvigorated our efforts with Uganda’s authorities and regional partners,” Van Braun stated. “We will not stop until Joseph Kony is arrested.”
Kamara echoed this determination, reaffirming the ICC’s cooperation with member states to bring Kony to justice. “ICC is cooperating with member states for justice to prevail to ensure that Joseph Kony is arrested,” she said.
Charges against Kony
Joseph Kony faces 36 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity, including murder, enslavement, sexual slavery, forced conscription of child soldiers, and abduction. These crimes were allegedly committed between July 1, 2002, and December 31, 2005, in northern Uganda.
Although the confirmation of charges can proceed in Kony’s absence, the trial itself cannot move forward until he is present in the court.
Potential Venue for Hearing: Gulu or Lira?
The Office of the Prosecutor has requested that the confirmation hearing be held in Uganda, either in Gulu or Lira City, to bring the proceedings closer to the affected communities. However, the ICC judges have yet to decide on this matter.
To support this request, the ICC Registry has been instructed to assess the feasibility of holding the hearing in northern Uganda. This includes evaluating the physical structures of courtrooms in Gulu and Lira and estimating the cost implications of organizing the hearing in these locations.
“We are examining practical modalities to determine whether these venues are viable options for holding the confirmation hearing in northern Uganda,” Kamara explained. “The judges will base their decision on the findings of these assessments.”
Continued Efforts
As the ICC’s outreach efforts continue, the focus remains on ensuring that Joseph Kony is informed about the charges against him and the upcoming hearing date. Despite the logistical and operational challenges, the ICC’s commitment to justice persists, with hopes that Kony will eventually be apprehended and held accountable for his alleged crimes.
