Joseph Kony pops up in DNC platform

Remember Joseph Kony, the unwitting subject of a devastatingly controversial viral video viewed on YouTube by more than 92 million times? A video that ignited a debate on the quasi-racism of Western aid to Africa and the power of new media to circulate what some saw as blatant (and blithering) propaganda.

 

Curiously, Kony has made it into the DNC's platform statement on Africa. Should we (do we want to?) believe the DNC thinks it is the most-important contemporary Africa policy issue? Here's how it reads:

Africa. We will continue to partner with African nations to combat al-Qaeda affiliates in places like Somalia and to bring to justice those who commit mass atrocities, like Joseph Kony. We have made great efforts to reduce the violence in Darfur and built international support for a successful referendum on South Sudan’s future. And in his first visit as President to the United Nations, President Obama advanced initiatives to strengthen UN peacekeeping capabilities in Africa. This includes providing equipment, training, and logistical support for UN and African Union missions in Darfur and Somalia. The President has also worked to help African nations grow their economies, and we have opened trade and investment opportunities across the continent.