Joseph Kony, the infamous warlord leader of the Ugandan terrorist group Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), is wanted by the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity including murder and rape. Kony has been on the run from the Ugandan government for more than two decades.

Kony was born in 1964 in Odek, Uganda, and, according to a BBC interview with one of his former classmates, he grew up as a normal kid. He loved to play soccer and dance for fun.   As he grew up he became more involved in fighting against the Ugandan government. Kony first got to be a rebel because he was influenced heavily by a rebel leader named Alice Lakwena and her movement, which was called the Holy Spirit movement. In 1986 he and some followers splintered off from the Holy Spirit movement and formed the LRA. After Ugandan military forces defeated the Holy Spirit movement and splintered the group, Kony gathered support from the remaining rebels, and the LRA took over the role of the Holy Spirit movement.

According to the BBC, the goal of the LRA is to overthrow the Ugandan government and create Kony’s version of a theocracy, a government he intended to base on the Ten Commandments and God’s will communicated through Kony himself. Kony believes that violence is the only way to achieve his idea of a theocracy. One particular group would pay the price for Kony’s cause: child soldiers. Kony is known for sending men to kidnap children by forcing them to murder their own parents so they have no home to go back to.  Reports show that child soldiers who escaped the LRA have told stories about how Kony’s men mutilate young children who misbehave by cutting off noses and tongues. According to the International Criminal Court’s website, Kony is allegedly criminally responsible for 33 counts including crimes against humanity and sexual enslavement. Several of his generals have also been accused of similar crimes.

Kony and his men have been at large for nearly 25, years and in that time the movement to stop him has grown exponentially. One of the biggest movements to stop him is the viral hit “Kony 2012,” which was created by a man named Jason Russell. This movement focuses on raising money and awareness to help those affected by the LRA and capturing Joseph Kony. The movement “Kony 2012” has drawn immense interest to the atrocities of Kony and his movement.  However, the credibility of the “Kony 2012” video has since been questioned on its credibility by many news sources and experts .The doubt stems from concerns about how the site is using the money it requests on the site to help bring Kony to justice.

Countries from around the world, including the US, are aiding in the search for the Ugandan warlord by providing supplies, military training and roughly 100 Special Forces troops. According to NPR, in 2010 Congress passed a law requiring the U.S. president to devise a plan to eliminate the LRA. President Obama spoke of supporting the hunt for Kony in 2012 saying “Today, I can announce that our advisers will continue their efforts to bring this madman to justice and to save lives.” There are reports that Kony has fled to surrounding countries, making the search much more difficult because of the size and terrain of the surrounding countries.