Kony's forces abducted thousands; girls enslaved, boys turned fighters, ICC told

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Legal representatives of victims of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) have told the International Criminal Court (ICC) that Joseph Kony’s forces abducted thousands of children under the age of 15—forcing teenage girls into sexual slavery and recruiting boys as fighters.

The confirmation hearing will run for three days, September 9 - 11. While it is being held online, a live public screening is taking place in Teso sub-region at Soroti Senior Secondary School.

The testimonies, delivered today, build on evidence presented on the opening day of the confirmation of charges hearing, which seeks to establish whether there is sufficient ground to uphold 39 charges against Kony.

The prosecution team, led by Karim A.A. Khan KC, is expected to submit all evidence before the judges pronounce their ruling.

However, Kony’s defence counsel, Peter Haynes KC, challenged the proceedings, arguing that confirming charges is unnecessary since his client’s whereabouts remain unknown.

The presiding judges are Althea Violet Alexis-Windsor, Iulia Motoc, and Haykel Ben Mahfoudh.

The hearing, which began on Tuesday, September 9, is scheduled to conclude on Thursday, when the panel will deliver its decision on whether to confirm the charges.

If the charges are confirmed, the case will advance to trial—but only if Kony is physically present before the court.



Etop Radio also spoke to victims who shared their pain and calls for justice.