Uganda, After "Kony 2012," Tries to Emphasize the Positive KAMPALA, Uganda - In its own way, Uganda is trying to claim its moment in an unfortunate spotlight. A video posted online this month, "Kony 2012," which is trying to call attention to the brutality of the Ugandan rebel leader Joseph Kony and his penchant for kidnapping and killing children, has turned the eyes of more than 100 million people to this developing, landlocked country. Now that it has everyone's attention, Uganda has something to say: "Lonely Planet declared Uganda as the best country in the world to visit in 2012." In the deluge of attention that has followed the "Kony 2012" video, by Invisible Children, an advocacy group based in San Diego, this East African nation is scrambling to react, even mobilizing diplomatic staff members around the world, anxious that the campaign could damage its investment climate, and also aware that it could present an important opportunity. The government released its own YouTube video last week in response, trying to retake control of its own image. Many Americans became aware of Uganda and Mr. Kony's militia, the Lord's Resistance Army, for the first time upon seeing "Kony 2012." In Uganda's video response, Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi speaks solemnly from a chair in his office. "We do not need a slick video on YouTube," he says, and later adds, "Uganda is a modern, developing country." Mr. Mbabazi, who notes the Lonely Planet rating, says, "Come and see Uganda for yourself: you will find a very different place to that portrayed by Invisible Children." A number of prominent Ugandans have come out in support of the "Kony 2012" campaign, but an official close to the prime minister's office said that many in Uganda's leadership privately found the video "neocolonial." Uganda has had several turns in the media glare this past decade, mostly for unhappy reasons. First it was the 2006 movie "The Last King of Scotland," depicting the bloody reign of the dictator Idi Amin in the 1970s. Then an antihomosexuality law proposed in 2009 with links to the West drew a new wave of attention. Now "Kony 2012" has brought Uganda to cellphones and computer screens around the world. But Ugandans feel their own voices have been drowned out. The prime minister's YouTube video reached 60,000 viewings by midday Monday. For comparison, an erotic video response to "Kony 2012" by a pornographic-film star had more than 160,000 hits over roughly the same span. Uganda, an American ally with significant regional influence, has tried to make the most out of the situation. One priority is raising awareness for investment and tourism opportunities. It is also emphasizing the Lord's Resistance Army's transnational threat, and Uganda's current military role - bolstered by 100 American soldiers - in fighting the rebels across borders. Not to mention investment and tourism opportunities. The official close to the prime minister's office, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because speaking publicly was outside the official's mandate, said Uganda was seeking ways to take advantage of the summit meeting of the Inter-Parliamentary Union in Kampala later this month. "All of this activity is designed to refocus attention from the past to the present," the official said.