Kony Case: ICC Confirms Charges of War Crimes and Crimes Against Humanity
On 6 November 2025, Pre-Trial Chamber III of the International Criminal Court (ICC) confirmed all 39 charges brought by the Prosecutor in the case The Prosecutor v. Joseph Kony and committed Mr. Kony to trial before a Trial Chamber. However, trials under the ICC Rome Statute require the accused's presence, so Mr. Kony must be physically before the court for the trial to proceed.
Composition of Pre-Trial Chamber III
- Judge Althea Violet Alexis-Windsor (Presiding Judge)
- Judge Iulia Antoanella Motoc
- Judge Haykel Ben Mahfoudh
Findings and Allegations
The chamber found substantial grounds to believe Joseph Kony is responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity. These alleged crimes took place between 1 July 2002 and 31 December 2005 in northern Uganda.
"Joseph Kony, a national of Uganda, is the founder and leader of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA)."
During this period, a prolonged armed conflict—non-international in character—was ongoing in northern Uganda, specifically in the Acholi, Lango, and Teso regions.
The conflict parties were the LRA on one side and the Uganda People’s Defence Force (UPDF) along with local armed units on the other.
Summary
The ICC's confirmation of charges against Joseph Kony underscores the court’s commitment to addressing serious international crimes, though his absence currently stalls the trial process.