The International Criminal Court (ICC) announced a hearing for fugitive Joseph Kony, leader of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), will be held in absentia, with a date yet to be confirmed.
Kony, 63, has been wanted by the ICC since 2005 for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity across several African nations over three decades.
The ICC’s Pre-Trial Chamber declared all conditions met to proceed with a confirmation hearing without Kony, according to a statement on Tuesday.
This decision follows the ICC’s announcement six months ago of plans to confirm 36 charges against Kony in October.
His current whereabouts remain unknown.
Kony founded the LRA in the 1980s, aiming to create a regime based on the Ten Commandments.
The group’s insurgency has killed over 100,000 people and abducted 60,000 children across Uganda, Central African Republic, DR Congo, and Sudan.
The ICC noted that while charges may be confirmed without Kony, a trial cannot begin unless he is present.
