Kony 2012: A year later

Last week marked the one year anniversary of the 30 minute viral video sponsored by Invisible Children documenting the atrocities of Ugandan rebel leader, Joseph Kony and his notorious Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) and calling for the world to know him and "make him famous" in hopes of ultimately capturing and arresting this "ruthless" man. Although the excitement surrounding it was short lived and eventually marred by inappropriate public behavior on behalf of the video's creator, Jason Russell, in the weeks following the video the world was united in the common cause to bring this war criminal to justice. While this is a good thing and I am glad that at the very least the world was informed of such atrocities, I am disappointed in Invisible Children as well as the media in general for I sufficiently presenting the entire story. Speaking as a Ugandan, I have some what of a better understanding of the issue than most. It is my hope in this blog post to present to the best of my ability another side to this complex issue and offer my personal sentiments pertaining to it.
The LRA has been active since the 1980's and was previously part of the Ugandan National Resistance Army. (NRA) It was in place as any other military organization, to protect and serve the people of its country from harm , working hand in hand with the police. However, when turmoil from within led the national army to become corrupt and immoral in their ways, many soldier opted out, forming the LRA, lead by Odong Latek. Originally, the organization was called the Ugandan People's Democratic Army and was meant to combat the corruptions of the army and eventually the government. As the rule of the incumbent party and president, Yoweri Museveni became progressively more heavy handed, and began to lose track of its moral code, the LRA became equally as ruthless and heavy handed. To date, it has been the most successful rebel organization in the history of the Museveni regime. However, due to the use of child soldiers as well as abductions and other heinous crimes, the group has lost it's legitimacy and have been written in the bad books of people and governments worldwide.
Naturally, the person getting most of the slack is none other than the LRA's notorious leader, Joseph Kony, who became a household name last year with the release of the viral documentary Kony2012, which called for the world to campaign to bring this man to justice as to protect the lives, and well being of the Ugandan people and prevent some harm to ever again touch their land. This is great, and I am all for bringing criminals to justice, BUT if the western world really wanted to help the Ugandan people and free the, from their "misery," they need not look any farther than the president himself. Yoweri Museveni violently enforced himself as president while the country was crippled and war torn and has been ruling Uganda for nearly 30 years now. He is guilty of most if not also the crimes that Kony is, and his party is one the most corrupt in African history. To add to it, he has changed the constitution multiple times; most notably t remove term limits and thus letting him hold eternal office. In 1987 he staged a military coup n the then incumbent government of Tito Okello. Most of his army consisted of children under the age of 15. Upon gaining power he made sure get rid of all political opposition. Countless have been abducted and killed by his army. Innocent civilians have been mad victims of torture. In the Ugandan capital of Kampala, army tanks sit in the center of public parks, surrounded by armed soldiers and tear gas is constantly armed. Civilians must live under the constant threat of tyranny by the hands of their own government, and and who dare speak out may be subject to violent apprehension; all of this, somehow protected under the crooked law. Initially, Museveni did bring stability and infrastructure to a war torn country, but his methods have never been justified and now many would say that country is regressing. Where as Kony does serve as a threat and I am in full support of his arrest, atleast he is accepted as a criminal. On the other hand, Mseveni has and proceeds to commit many of he same crimes but manages to get off slack free. The world, instead of focusing on finding and capturing criminal who may or may not be alive, should be informed of, accept, and bring justice to the crimes of Yoweri Museveni, a man who has continuously served as a threat to Uganda. That, I think, is the best thing that the world can do to help the Ugandan people.