The International Criminal Court (ICC) has confirmed that fugitive Ugandan warlord Joseph Kony has been charged in absentia with war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Kony, leader of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), faces 39 counts, including murder, rape, sexual slavery, and the use of child soldiers, committed between 2002 and 2005.
A warrant for his arrest was first issued in 2005, making him the ICC’s longest-standing fugitive.
Kony founded the LRA in the late 1980s, claiming the goal of overthrowing the Ugandan government, but over nearly two decades, his group became notorious for brutal attacks on civilians.
ICC prosecutors have welcomed the ruling and confirmed that efforts to locate and apprehend Kony continue.