Kony 2012

The documentary Kony 2012 tells the story of Ugandan warlord Joseph Kony and the war crimes he and his rebel group, the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), have committed across Central Africa for decades.

The film was released by the nonprofit organization Invisible Children in March 2012 and quickly went viral on social media, racking up over 100 million views within days. Director Jason Russell set out to make Joseph Kony globally infamous in order to pressure the international community into capturing him.

Kony is wanted by the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the recruitment of child soldiers. The LRA has kidnapped thousands of children, forcing them to become soldiers or sex slaves, and has displaced millions of people across Uganda, Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the Central African Republic.

The film sparked massive reactions and was criticized for oversimplifying complex political realities, as well as for questionable financial practices within the organization behind it. Despite the criticism, it succeeded in generating global awareness of Kony's crimes and the widespread suffering the LRA has caused throughout Central Africa.