Kony 2012: Uganda Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi makes a YouTube rebuttal
A screen grab from Invisible Children’s “Kony 2012” viral video campaign. The campaign has drawn a flurry of media coverage, controversy and criticism. It has also triggered more so-called “clicktivism” in Africa, including the M23 rebellion in Congo.
The government of Uganda took to YouTube today in an attempt to correct what it said was a “false impression” created by the wildly successful viral video campaign Kony 2012.
Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi appears in the eight-minute video to deny that his country is harboring Joseph Kony, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court on 33 counts of crimes against humanity and war crimes.
More from GlobalPost: Kony 2012 flops in Uganda
According to Reuters, Uganda is spearheading the effort to track Kony down and wants the world to know this.
Jason Russell, one of the makers of the film, was picked up by police in California yesterday after an apparent episode during which he was reportedly seen in public behaving erratically, either nude or largely undressed.
The Ugandan government’s video can be seen here:
"The Kony 2012 campaign fails to make one crucial point clear. Joseph Kony is not in Uganda," Mbabazi says. "Uganda is not in conflict. Uganda is a modern, developing country which enjoys peace, stability and security."
On his Twitter account, Mbabazi wrote to US celebrties such as Rush Limbaugh, the pop star Rihanna, investor Warren Buffett, the singer Taylor Swift, the television personality Ryan Seacrest and the athlete Tim Tebow. He used the hashtag #KonyisntinUganda.
More from GlobalPost: Chinese cars, made in Bulgaria
According to Reuters, Kony's reign of terror largely ended in 2005 and his is now said to command only a few hundred followers in "remote jungle hideouts" in neighboring countries.