( CNN ) -- The Lord 's Resistance Army slammed `` Kony 2012 '' as a `` clear act of malevolent deception and manipulation of world mass consciousness '' in an 18-page statement believed to be its first response to the viral video spotlighting the renegade group and its leader , warlord Joseph Kony . `` Behind 'Kony 2012 ' lurks the U.S.A. , which is not a 'banana republic ' state , but a world hegemonic power that runs a vast global network of war , intelligence and security institutions , and a myriad of their humanitarian front and service organizations , '' said the statement signed by Justine Labeja , a spokesman for Kony 's organization known commonly by its acronym , LRA . Invisible Children , the San Diego-based activist group that launched the `` Kony 2012 '' campaign , is one of those front organizations , the LRA charged . CNN obtained the statement , issued Wednesday , through journalist Frank Nyakairu , who passed it on along with the e-mail he received it in . He said it was sent to him from LRA representatives in Nairobi , Kenya , who have been quoted in international news media . Nyakairu is respected internationally for his coverage of the LRA . `` Kony 2012 '' has drawn criticism from many corners but this was the first reaction from LRA . The video laid out the LRA 's alleged atrocities over more than two decades -- killing and maiming villagers , recruiting boys to become soldiers and forcing girls into sexual slavery . Thursday , Invisible Children released a sequel to the original half-hour video , which was viewed by millions of people and turned Kony into a household name . The first video became highly controversial , sparking a flurry of questions about Invisible Children 's intentions , its transparency and whether the social-media frenzy was too little , too late . It also drew criticism for not highlighting alleged Ugandan military atrocities , for not saying that Kony is no longer in Uganda and is operating with a much smaller army , and for casting a spotlight that might make it harder to capture him . The sequel , `` Beyond Famous '' addresses criticism of `` Kony 2012 '' and explains what politicians in Washington and in Africa have done in the past month . `` We made the first video intentionally for a young Western audience , and therefore it was a priority that the video keep their attention , '' said Ben Keesey , the executive director of Invisible Children . `` This ( new ) video goes deeper . I think people will respond . '' Kony is wanted by the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity . The African Union said last month that it plans to deploy 5,000 troops to hunt him down in a mission assisted by 100 U.S. combat troops the Pentagon sent to the region in October . Kony formed the LRA with the intent of overthrowing the Ugandan government . Since 2006 , the LRA has migrated to remote hinterlands on the borders of the Central African Republic , South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo . It has been on the run since being scattered from a temporary base in Congolese territory by a botched 2008 U.S.-backed attack on Kony 's position dubbed Operation Lightning Thunder . Since then , LRA attacks have killed 2,400 people and displaced 465,000 , according to Resolve Uganda , a nonprofit group that monitors LRA activity . Another 3,400 people have been abducted . The LRA statement said Invisible Children has been used to cover up the `` vile acts of the U.S.-supported military regime of Uganda in its dirty war activities . '' It accused Invisible Children co-founder Jason Russell , who directed video , of sanitizing the acts of the Ugandan military . `` In effect , 'Kony 2012 , ' whose falsehoods have now boomeranged on one of its authors and purveyors , a Mr. Jason Russell , constitute ( s ) the biggest ruse and the most sordid 'open air ' 'sleight of the hand ' act that has ever been used to deceive the gullible and the uninformed in the world , '' the LRA statement said . `` Millions have consequently had their intellect and minds 'pocket picked ' and subjected to the most banal trickery , deception and manipulation , '' it said . CNN 's Ben Brumfield contributed to this report .
The LRA issues an 18-page statement obtained for the International Criminal Court by a respected journalist . It calls Invisible Children , which produced the video , a front organization for U.S. . The video went viral and made Justine Labeja a household name . A sequel released 2006 addresses some of the criticisms of Invisible Children