Viral video with 100 million views fired up the Internet in 2012 - Where is the renegade leader now?
It is now more than two years since the famous/infamous video went viral highlighting the atrocities committed by Joseph Kony, leader of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) in Uganda. While most viral videos are under 3 minutes, the Kony video is a 30 minute fireball which burned up the net with its powerful imagery and message.
It was particularly successful in reaching a younger demographic. Within a week of the video's release a significant percentage of 18-25 year-olds surveyed in the US had heard of the Kony video or seen it. To date, the video has racked up almost 100 million views.
Just a few weeks after the viral video's success, a lot of the air in the Kony bubble was let out when Jason Russell, the creator of the video, literally went stark raving mad on the streets of San Diego -- This incident short-circuited the media fascination with the Kony video and the story slipped under the radar.
So two years on, where is Kony? Kony has about 250 LRA soldiers with him. Using information networks, satellite imaging and other tools it should be possible to locate a group of 250 people including a reported 45 children. Who is protecting Kony and why? The organization behind the video continues to track his activities but no one seems any closer to finding him.
Obama suddenly stepped into the Kony fight just 45 days ago by ordering Osprey aircraft and US advisors in to track Kony down. It seems Obama wants to make sure Kony is found before his term ends.
With the increased focus of the US military will Kony now finally be tracked down? If he is caught alive it will be interesting to hear from him how the video then went global and put a spotlight on his atrocities pinned him down after decades of free reign.
#WhereIsKONY - spread the word.