CULTS: How Lakwena amassed 10,000 fighters

Alice Auma was born 1956 to Severino Lukoya and Ibarina Ayaa in Bungatira Sub-county in Gulu district. She was a fishmonger and flour trader at Opit railway station.

After two failed marriages, she fled and reappeared after four weeks claiming to have been possessed by a spirit.

As a spirit-medium who, she constituted, headed the Holy Spirit Movement and led a millennial rebellion against the Ugandan government forces of President Yoweri Museveni from August 1986 until November 1987. She was popularly referred to as Lakwena because she is believed to have channelled a spirit called Lakwena that means Messenger in Acholi.

Alice Lakwena (centre) with two of followers. File Photo

She claimed the spirit could make her poorly armed Holy Spirit Movement fighters invulnerable in battle.

After the Holy Spirit Movement forces were defeated by Museveni's troops in 1987, Lakwena fled to Kenya. Many of her followers joined the insurgent Lord's Resistance Army under Joseph Kony, who was reported to be her cousin.

Although Auma neither had a military background nor proper education having only completed Primary Seven, the Holy Spirit Movement group expanded quickly and covered a wide area in less than a year reaching up to 10,000 members.

Lakwena's parents Severino Okoya and Ebirina Ayaa. File Photo

Auma and her group and set up camp in Kilak, Pader District which became the starting point of her journey to capture Kampala. She set up rules which she said Lakwena required her to dictate to the fighters twice a day, at 7 am and 7 pm. They included:

• They did not need to use guns of any type, because they were holy. Any captured weapons were to be burnt immediately.

• Each fighter had to burn his witchcraft charms and had to appease the spirit if he had killed previously.

Lakwena (left) at a refugee camp in Kenya. File Photo

• As they were advancing on the battlefield, they were to sing Catholic hymns.

• Each fighter had to be smeared with a mixture of shea nut oil and red soil (pala). The mixture would provide immunity and bounce off the enemy bullets.

• Water was to be treated with respect and each river they were to cross had to be "bought" with a coin and a shell to make it block off enemies or drown them.

• Each fighter had to have strictly two testicles; neither more nor less. Anyone with less or more had to leave the camp immediately.

Then government Chief Whip Daudi Migereko (L) with 84-yr-old Haruna Waitale a survivor of the assault on Nawanganda village, Busedde sub-county in Jinja by Lakwena's forces. File Photo

• No eating pork, shea nut oil or honey. They were to get rid of pigs because they were unholy. All collection of shea nut oil and honey were to be taken to Auma for the treatment of wounded fighters.

• Stones if thrown at the enemies would explode like a grenade. No walking stick in the battlefield. No hiding behind an anthill. No smoking.

• The fighters were to go to battle with complete courage, determination and fearlessness. Anyone who went to the battlefield with fear and doubt would be caught by the enemy's bullets.

Lakwena's parents lay a wreath on her casket. File Photo

• No stealing or taking something without prior permission from the owner. If any of the fighters made a mistake, he was to apologies to the owner immediately.

Around Auma stood three charcoal stoves on which little replicas of the enemies were heated until they glowed and then waved over the soldiers' heads to bless them.

The treatment of wounded fighters had to be administered by either herself, a virgin boy or an elderly woman who no longer had sexual relations. The treatment included cleaning the wound and applying the shea nut oil, twice a day, in the morning and evening.

Auma's manipulation seemed to work at the beginning, as the NRA retreated in what has been referred to as mercy retreats based on the number of casualties and dead on the Holy Spirit Movement side for several initial encounters.

However in the final battle in Jinja, just about 80kms east of Kampala, the Holy Spirit Movement was smashed by heavy artillery fire of the NRA, forcing Auma to abandon her fighters and flee on a bicycle towards the east. She eventually crossed to Kenya in November 1987.

She died on January 17, 2007, in Ifo refugee camp, Garissa district, in Kenya.