Holy Spirit Movement
Holy Spirit Movement (HSM ) was a Ugandan Christian syncretic rebel group, which was founded by Alice Auma Lakwena, an ethnic Acholi, in August 1986. Alice Auma described himself as a spiritual medium, under the leadership of Jok (low deity, spirit ) Lakewana, which should have prompted the establishment of the HSM.
Lakwena means " ambassador ". Holy Spirit Movement was the name of the political wing of Alice Lakwenas organization, while the military wing as Holy Spirit Mobile Force was called. There was no organizational separation between these two wings.
After Alice Auma was able to gather some followers behind her, she convinced the rebel group Uganda People's Democratic Army ( UPDA ) in November 1986 to provide some of their fighters under their command. The end of 1986 they commanded 10000-18000 fighter. Two surprising victory over the government forces of the National Resistance Army ( NRA) in November and December 1986 earned her widespread popularity and support, including from other ethnic groups. This popularity is also justified in the strict but fair policies within the HSM, while other rebel groups and government forces its military violence often abused.
The HSM fought like a regular army, they conquered territories and provided open fights with the NRA. To outsiders, some practices within the HSM act very strange, so in each unit spiritual inspectors were integrated. Alice Auma rubbed their fighters one with blessed oil, which should stop bullets, if the soul of the fighter was pure; also blessed stones, so that they should explode like grenades. The fighters moved into the HSM Cross lineup and singing hymns in the fighting.
The alliance between the HSM and the UPDA broke quickly, in early 1987 the UPDA tried to take over the civilian supply depot by terrorizing the supporters of the HSM. In August 1987, the HSM began an offensive despite ongoing disputes with other rebel groups to take over the Ugandan capital, Kampala, and to initiate a paradise on earth. In November, the HSM encountered in areas from where they had no more public support, and after some heavy defeats she was beaten 50 kilometers from Kampala critical of the NRA.
The HSM left some small rebel groups, most of which soon slid down into crime or were crushed by other rebel groups or the NRA. From one of these groups, Joseph Kony, Auma's cousin or nephew, led Lord's Resistance Army emerged that was active earlier in Northern Uganda and is active today in the border area between southern Sudan, the Central African Republic and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Alice Auma died at the age of 51 years on 17 January 2007 at the Ifo refugee camp of United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR ) in the North-Eastern Province of Kenya, where she had been granted asylum.