For years, rumours have circulated across northern Uganda suggesting that Joseph Kony may have died somewhere in the wilderness he once used as a shield. But the International Criminal Court has now dismissed those claims. According to the ICC, the fugitive leader of the Lord’s Resistance Army is still alive.
The confirmation came from senior trial lawyer Leonie Von Braun, who told journalists that all intelligence gathered by the court points in one direction.
“All our information indicates that he is still alive,” she said. “Otherwise, we would not have proceeded with the confirmation in absentia process.”
Her remarks have stirred painful memories in communities still living with the trauma of the LRA’s atrocities—mass killings, child abductions, sexual slavery and the destruction of entire villages.
Nearly 20 years have passed since the ICC issued an arrest warrant for Kony and Interpol placed him on its red notice list. Yet he remains at large, reportedly drifting across remote parts of Central Africa while survivors wait for justice that feels increasingly out of reach.
Last month, the ICC confirmed 39 charges against him, including murder, rape and sexual enslavement. But the milestone came with an uncomfortable truth: the court cannot begin a full trial unless Kony is physically delivered to The Hague. Von Braun emphasised this point clearly.
“The confirmation of the charges marks the end of the in absentia proceedings,” she said. “We cannot have a trial. Only when he is arrested and brought before the judges in The Hague can the next phase begin.”
Under ICC rules, suspects may face confirmation of charges without being present, but a full trial in absentia is not allowed. The principle is meant to safeguard due process, but it sits uneasily with the expectations of northern Ugandan victims who have waited decades for closure.
Von Braun stressed that efforts to capture Kony are ongoing, though the ICC relies entirely on member states since it has no police or military force of its own.
“We are working with our partners to ensure he is brought into custody,” she said, declining to name the countries involved due to security concerns. “We are working together to finally have him arrested and surrendered.”
She noted that geography remains one of the biggest obstacles. Kony is believed to operate in remote, poorly governed regions where some states have not signed the Rome Statute, the treaty that established the ICC. Without cooperation from those countries, arresting him becomes significantly harder.
“That alone gives an indication of why securing his arrest has been so difficult,” she added.
ICC international cooperation adviser Dahirou Santa-Anna highlighted the significance of the case, noting that this is the first time judges have confirmed charges against a suspect who was not present in court. While it marks a procedural milestone, it also underscores the frustrations of seeking justice for a fugitive who has evaded capture for nearly two decades.
Still, Santa-Anna reminded the public that the pursuit of justice has never depended solely on a courtroom. Through the Trust Fund for Victims, rehabilitation programmes have operated in northern Uganda for more than 15 years, offering medical care, psychosocial support and community rebuilding initiatives.
“Rehabilitation activities have been ongoing in Uganda for at least 15 years,” he said. “The efforts did not wait for a conviction before providing assistance to victims.”
For many survivors, these quiet interventions—counselling, treatment and community recovery—are the closest form of justice they have received so far. Yet the central question remains: how much longer must they wait?
Each renewed confirmation that Kony is alive brings a mix of hope and frustration. Hope that he may one day be captured. Frustration that his shadow continues to stretch across borders, across the years, and across a region still learning to live with what he left behind.
