Lakwena, Alice (1960–)

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Lakwena, Alice (1960–)

Ugandan rebel. Name variations: Alice Auma. Born 1960 in northern Uganda; dau. of Severino Lukoya, an Anglican catechist.

As a young Acholi woman in northern Uganda, claimed she was under orders of a Christian spirit named Lakwena (means "sent" or "messenger" in Acholi) in the guise of a Christian Italian who had died in WWII (1985); raised an army called the Holy Spirit Mobile Forces (HSMF); waged war against the forces of witchcraft and led the very nearly successful Uganda uprisings against the government of Museveni (1986–88), coming close to overthrowing it; fled to a refugee camp in Kenya, where she remained; reportedly received invitation from president of Uganda to return to there (2003).

See also Heike Behrend, Alice Lakwena and the Holy Spirits.