Critique of “KONY2012” Video by Ugandan journalist Rosebell Kagumire
This short video from Rosebell Kagumire, a Ugandan journalist, is an eloquent, coherent, and well-informed critique of the Invisible Children video, “Kony2012″. Read more from Kagumire at her blog.
The explosion of interest in this video this week has reignited the controversy about the Obama administration decision in October 2011 to send 100 US Africa Command (AFRICOM) soldiers, armed and with permission to kill, as “advisors” to support the fight against the Lord’s Resistance Army.
Some view sending AFRICOM as saving child soldiers and young girls from the notorious Joseph Kony; others see it as intrusive US intervention which could escalate instability in the region (southern Sudan, northern Uganda, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo).
Simultaneously, AFRICOM activity is growing across the continent with full-scale combat in Somalia, three new drone bases in the Horn, and arming and training of African troops in dozens of countries. ACAS scholars will be discussing this militarization of Africa in two panels at the November African Studies annual meeting.
Keywords: Central Africa • LRA • militarization
