Prosecutors at the International Criminal Court began presenting evidence Tuesday to support charges against fugitive Ugandan rebel leader Joseph Kony at the court’s first ever in absentia hearing, alleging he inflicted horrors on Ugandan society and beyond, that still echo two decades later.

Kony is facing 39 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity as the fugitive leader of the Lord’s Resistance Army, or LRA, which terrorized northern Uganda for decades.

The LRA began its attacks in Uganda in the 1980s, when Kony sought to overthrow the government.

After being pushed out of Uganda, the militia went on to attack villages in Congo, Central African Republic and South Sudan.

It was notorious for using child soldiers, mutilating civilians and enslaving women.

Okello Herbert, a lawyer from northern Uganda told the Associated Press during an interview that he is keenly following the proceedings.

"Direct victims, the people that lost lives, the people that lost lips, limbs, lands and livelihoods are directly affected and are directly invested in this trial," he said.

The ICC hearing is not a trial, but allows prosecutors to outline their case in court.

After weighing the evidence, judges can rule on whether or not to confirm the charges against Kony, but he cannot be tried unless he is in ICC custody.

Betty Bigombe, now a Ugandan diplomat, has been credited as the person who helped stop the war in Northern Uganda through her peace negotiations with Kony.

She exclusively spoke to the Associated Press from the capital Kampala.

She said she was frustrated it had taken so long for the proceedings to get underway but recognized that it could still bring some satisfaction to victims.

"'Justice delayed is justice denied.' This should have taken place much much earlier,” she said.

Court-appointed counsel for Kony argued the proceedings violate their client’s fair trial rights and should not have been held at all.

Kony was thrust into the global spotlight in 2012 when a video about his crimes went viral.

Despite the attention and international efforts to capture him, he remains at large.

The ICC proceedings against Kony will be followed by many in Uganda, where survivors welcome the charges even as they regret the failure to catch him.

The hearing has been seen as a test case for the court moving forward with other cases where the likelihood of having a suspect detained is considered remote, such as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu or Russian President Vladimir Putin.

AP video by Patrick Onen