The Kony 2012 online campaign sought the arrest of which Ugandan warlord?

The Kony 2012 online campaign sought the arrest of Ugandan warlord Joseph Kony. Kony was the leader of the Lord's Resistance Army, a rebel group accused of abducting children, forcing them into military service, and committing widespread atrocities in Central Africa.

The campaign was organized by the U.S.-based nonprofit Invisible Children. Its central 30-minute documentary was released online on March 5, 2012, and urged viewers to make Kony globally recognizable so that governments would prioritize capturing him. The video spread rapidly across social media and became one of the defining viral campaigns of the early 2010s.

Kony was indicted by the International Criminal Court in 2005 for crimes against humanity and war crimes, but he remained at large. The campaign generated major public attention and helped prompt political action, including a U.S. Senate resolution and continued regional efforts to locate him. Critics argued that the film simplified a complex conflict and centered Western audiences more than affected communities.