Former Lords Resistance Army commander Dominic Ongwen has been appearing before judges at the International Criminal Court in the run up to his trial.
The Ugandan faces seven charges or war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Jack Parrock reports from The Hague.
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Dominic Ongwen before judges at the ICC for the first time since his first reception in The Hague in January - to hear lawyers negotiate on the timelines and finer details of his impending trial.
His international arrest warrant was one of the first the International Criminal Court ever issued on its formation in 2005.
Ongwen and the LRA are accused of killing an estimated 100 thousand people and butchering, raping and maiming thousands of others across Northern Uganda, South Sudan and the Central African Republic.
BITE: Fadi El-Abdullah - ICC Spokesperson
"The court has started the preparations for the proceedings in his case. Starting by separating his case from the case regarding Mr jospeh Kony and the other leaders of the LRA against whom the ICC had delivered arrest warrants."
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The LRA is thought to have enlisted as many as 20 thousand child soldiers. Ongwen was himself one of them - but rose through the ranks and built himself a fearsome reputation as a ruthless commander
Some observers say the ICC should be putting him before judges more frequently.
BITE: Niccolo Figa-Talamanca - No Peace Without Justice
"Four months is quite a long time considering that the case has been open for ten years. The prosecutor in an ordinary circumstances is expected to be ready for trial when they go and confirm the charges which was a long, long time ago when the first warrant of arrest was issued. Of course ten years is also a mitigating factor for the prosecutor that can say well in the meanwhile, the witnesses have spread all over and we have to catch up with them."
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The International Criminal Court still hold warrants of arrest against 4 other LRA commanders including its leader - since the group's inception in 1987 - Joseph Kony.
The ICC prosecutor will deliver the confirmation of charges against Dominic Ongwen which is the first step in the trial - in January 2016 - a year after he was transferred here. The process may seem lengthy but the ICC insists the delay is necessary in order to ensure a fair trial in pursuit of justice for the victims.
Jack Parrock, The Hague