Uganda's Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi has learned something key from the viral spread of the 30-minute KONY 2012 documentary: If you want to spread a message across the world, social media is a great place to start.
Mbabazi tweeted at several celebrity notables on Friday -- including Oprah Winfrey, Justin Bieber, Ellen DeGeneres and Lady Gaga -- that Joseph Kony wasn't in Uganda. Mbabazi used the hashtag #KonyisntinUganda.
@Oprah As PM of Uganda,I appreciate your interest & invite you to visit.We have peace,stability & great people.#KonyisntinUganda— Amama Mbabazi (@AmamaMbabazi) March 16, 2012
Mbabazi's account isn't verified, though it has been tweeting frequently since before news of the KONY 2012 film, which was created by a group called Invisible Children, began spreading earlier this month. Reuters social media editor Anthony De Rosa tweeted that Ugandan radio host Alan Kasujja has spoke to the Prime Minister and confirms it's his Twitter account. Twitter didn't reply to Mashable's request for verification.
Thanks @MaloneBarry and @kasujja, according to @kasujja he spoke to the Prime Minister of Uganda himself who verified he is @AmamaMbabazi— Anthony De Rosa (@AntDeRosa) March 16, 2012
In response to Mbabazi's attempted #KonyisntinUganda campaign, Invisible Children says it never claimed Joseph Kony was in Uganda in the first place.
"We think it's slightly unnecessary, especially considering that the film explicitly says that Joseph Kony and the LRA are no longer in Uganda," an Invisible Children spokesperson told Mashable, referencing the film's 15-minute mark.
The film says, beginning at 15:00, "As the LRA began to move into other countries, Jacob and other Ugandans came to the U.S. to speak on behalf of all people suffering because of Kony." You see a map of central Africa with a red tint shifting out of Uganda, though there is no "explicit" mention Kony has left.
