The International Criminal Court has opened its first-ever in absentia hearing against fugitive Ugandan rebel leader Joseph Kony, accused of 39 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity. As head of the Lord’s Resistance Army, he terrorised northern Uganda for decades before his forces expanded attacks into Congo, the Central African Republic, and South Sudan. The LRA became infamous for abducting children, mutilating civilians, and enslaving women. Survivors and advocates in Uganda have welcomed the proceedings, even though Kony remains at large. Some stress the trial’s importance for victims who lost lives, limbs, and livelihoods; others, though frustrated at the delay, acknowledge the symbolic value for healing and justice. The court-appointed counsel for Kony, however, argued that his fair trial rights are being violated. Though justice remains incomplete without his capture, the hearing underscores the ICC’s willingness to pursue accountability in complex cases.