31-528: The Holy Spirit Movement ( HSM ) was a Ugandan religiously syncretic Christian militant rebel organization centered upon its founder, self-declared spirit medium and prophetess Alice Lakwena (Auma) . Alice, an ethnic Acholi , was purportedly directed to form the HSM by Lakwena, one of her spirits, in August 1986. The movement grew to adopt a military wing and waged a major but short-lived rebellion as part of
62-573: A Holy Spirit Army of his own, consisting of over 5,000 men, including defectors from the UPDA's Black Battalion . While Kony and his Holy Spirit Army was not affiliated with Lakwena and her Holy Spirit Battalion, the former was joined by Lakwena's father, Severino Lukwoya . Lakwena launched an offensive in Southern Uganda in August 1987, as her numbers grew stronger and stronger. Lakwena was known to recruit disillusioned professional soldiers from
93-769: A follower, Alice would cleanse a person of their past sins, by placing her hands on their head. This signified her role as a spiritual elder of sorts. In terms of weaponry, Alice Lakwena convinced her soldier followers that she gave them special weaponry that was enhanced by spiritual powers. For example, she told soldiers that rocks she gave them would turn into grenades when thrown, and if they drank water that had been blessed, then they would be immune to gunfire, as any bullets that they came into contact with would immediately turn into water. Alice also created charms and potions with snake-bone and beeswax that followers were told would turn into swarms of animals and insects when thrown at enemy troops. The media (western and local) played
124-700: A role in reporting about Alice's Holy Spirit Movement. This caused her to create a branch of the movement called the Department of Information and Publicity . This bureaucratic organization worked to create a softer image of the brutal practices of the HSM. Alice and Lakwena also gave an interview in October 1987 to try to clear the air about their motives and goals in fighting. Christianity in Uganda Religion in Uganda (2014 census) Christianity
155-603: A separatist guerilla movement headed by Odong Latek , the Uganda People's Democratic Army . This army fought for Acholi supremacy over regions historically belonging to the ethnic group. In 1986, Holy Spirit Movement founder Alice Lakwena (at the age of 27) and her supporters were given weapons by former UNLA officers. She thus began commanding her own troops, which she called the Holy Spirit Battalion , one of four rebel groups seeking to gain control over
186-538: Is located on the outskirts of Kampala . The Uganda Buddhist Centre , founded in 2005 by Venerable Buddharakkhita, is an initiative that intends to provide the first stable source of Buddhism in Uganda. Only 0.2 percent of Ugandans claim no religion. The Uganda Humanist Association is a member of the International Humanist and Ethical Union and has been registered since 1996. National Resistance Army The National Resistance Army ( NRA )
217-461: Is the predominant religion in Uganda . According to the 2014 census, over 84 percent of the population was Christian, while about 14 percent of the population adhered to Islam , making it the largest minority religion. Anglicanism and Catholicism are the main Christian denominations in the country. The northern and west Nile regions are dominated by Roman Catholics, and Iganga District in
248-661: The Abayudaya , numbering some 2,000-3,000. The group was formed by Semei Kakungulu in the early 20th century. About 1 percent of Uganda's population follow traditional religions only; however, in 2009, more people practiced traditional religious practices along with other religions such as Christianity or Islam. One survey in 2010 showed that about 27 percent of Ugandans believe that sacrifices to ancestors or spirits can protect them from harm. Uganda has received media attention for interfaith efforts in Mbale . Founded by JJ Keki,
279-645: The Acholi people and were in part seen as a form of revenge for Operation Bonanza , the scorched-earth operation there that had been ordered by Milton Obote during his presidency. From 1986 to 1990, the Museveni regime tried to end various insurgencies and establish control over the army. Despite repeated government claims that the NRA had defeated the UNLA and other rebel groups, insurgent activity continued, especially in
310-651: The Gulu and Kitgum districts of Uganda. The Holy Spirit Battalion and the UPDA held a steady alliance until the Battle of Corner Kilak yielded a more contentious relationship. After an independent UPDA attack on Gulu on 20 April 1987, UPDA soldiers grew fearful of the Holy Spirit Battalion, leading to many defecting and joining Lakwena. Independently in April 1987, another 'spiritual medium', Joseph Kony , held
341-519: The International Bible Students Association name and are working in a total of ten languages, including Swahili and Luganda . Followers of William M. Branham and Branhamism claim numbers in the tens of thousands, thanks in large part to translation and distribution efforts by Voice of God Recordings. The Presbyterian Church in Uganda has 100-200 congregations. The Reformed Presbyterian Church in Uganda
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#1732772488310372-592: The Mirembe Kawomera (Delicious Peace) Fair Trade Coffee Cooperative brings together Muslim, Jewish, and Christian coffee farmers. Members of the cooperative use music to spread their message of peace. The Smithsonian Folkways album "Delicious Peace: Coffee, Music & Interfaith Harmony in Uganda" features songs from members of the cooperative about their interfaith message. According to ARDA , there were about 355,497 (0.93%) Hindus in Uganda in 2015 In 2020, ARDA figures showed that Hindus made up 0.8% of
403-584: The National Resistance Army (NRA) under Yoweri Museveni and restore Acholi purity and supremacy. This goal slowly began to become more universal as time progressed, with Alice modifying her goals for Acholi purity to aim more for total African and global purity. Rules for Alice's Holy Spirit Battalion (called Holy Spirit Safety Precautions ) were biblical in format and unusual in content. Things such as sexual intercourse, alcohol consumption, tobacco usage, and certain foods were prohibited. It
434-678: The Uganda Patriotic Movement party, alleged electoral fraud and declared an armed rebellion, following the victory of Uganda Peoples Congress in the bitterly disputed 1980 general election . Museveni, who had guerrilla war experience with the Mozambican Liberation Front (FRELIMO) in Mozambique, and his own Front for National Salvation (FRONASA) formed in Tanzania to fight Idi Amin , led
465-613: The insurgency (1986–1994) . It may have inspired Joseph Kony to begin his Lord's Resistance Army . Technically, the Holy Spirit Movement was the political wing of Alice's organization and the Holy Spirit Mobile Force ( HSMF ) was the military wing, but there was no real separation of functions and the titles were used interchangeably. Following the collapse of Tito Okello 's Uganda National Liberation Army (UNLA), several soldiers left to create
496-503: The Acholi language. Her main reason for violent war efforts was to 'purify the aggrieved Northern Acholi people'. Lakwena was repeatedly cited as telling Alice to cleanse tribes of their sins, and to eradicate "bad people", both within her ranks and outside of them. The men that fought for her were fully convinced they were fighting for God and proper judgement, not against an enemy. As such, she convinced her followers to take up arms against
527-653: The Baháʼí Faith was banned and the murder of Baháʼí Hand of the Cause Enoch Olinga and his family, the community continues to grow though estimates of the population range widely from 19,000 to 105,000 and the community's involvements have included diverse efforts to promote the welfare of the Ugandan people. One of only ten Baháʼí Houses of Worship in the world, known as the Mother Temple of Africa,
558-633: The East African Coast Freedom of religion is guaranteed by the Uganda Constitution, but religions are expected to be registered with the government and then to secure a five-year license; registered groups are exempt from direct taxation. In 2023, the country was scored 3 out of 4 for religious freedom by Freedom House . According to the national census of 2014, Christians of all denominations comprised 85 percent of Uganda's population. The Roman Catholic Church had
589-411: The NRA to victory against Ugandan government troops ( UNLA ) in 1986. By the time the victorious NRA entered Kampala in 1986, about a quarter of its 16,000 combatants were Banyarwanda , while Fred Rwigema was its deputy commander. The NRA then became the national army. Shortly afterwards, the UNLA carried out a number of attacks against civilians in the north of Uganda. The attacks largely targeted
620-580: The UDPA, and coerce young men from local villages to join her by killing their family members. After fighting a fairly successful campaign in Uganda, Lakwena and 118 followers crossed the Kenyan border, and were arrested as illegal immigrants, on 26 December 1987. After Lakwena's arrest and detention in Kenya, several former rebels again took up arms and formed what was known as 'Lakwena Part Two'. 'Lakwena Part Two'
651-464: The bush, where she claims she spent 40 days and 40 nights living off of the wilderness. She also claimed to be possessed by several ghosts, including a North Korean, Miriam , and Medina. Her 'chief spirit' was the one that communicated God's word directly to her. The 'chief spirit' was an Italian man who had died by drowning in the Nile at the age of 95; he was called 'Lakwena' which means 'the messenger' in
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#1732772488310682-706: The east of Uganda had the highest percentage of Muslims; Good Friday , Easter Monday , Eid al-Fitr , Eid al-Adha , and Christmas are recognized national holidays. Islam was the first foreign religion to be introduced in the current day Uganda. The religion dates back in 1820s where the Anglo-Egyptians had already arrived in the CE Uganda. Although, It was officially reported in CE central Uganda (Buganda Kingdom) in 1844 by an Arab trader; Ahmad Bin Ibrahim , from
713-542: The largest number of adherents (39.3 percent of the total population). The largest Protestant church was the Anglican Church of Uganda , a part of the worldwide Anglican communion, at 32 percent. The category of Pentecostal/Evangelical/Born Again made up 11.1% of the population, while Seventh-day Adventists made up 1.7%, Baptists 0.3% and Eastern Orthodox 0.1%., although some sources estimate their numbers to more than 3% Jehovah's Witnesses operate in Uganda under
744-414: The northern, eastern, and western regions. In April 1988, 3,000 former Uganda People's Army (UPA) fighters and members of several other small rebel groups accepted a government amnesty by surrendering and declaring their support for Museveni's regime. In June 1988, the president concluded a peace agreement with Uganda People's Democratic Army (UPDA) commander Lieutenant Colonel John Angelo Okello. Although
775-418: The population. But The 2014 Census found that there were 13,905 Hindus, making up less than 0.1% of the population. The Baháʼí Faith in Uganda started to grow in 1951 and in four years time there were 500 Baháʼís in 80 localities, including 13 Baháʼí Local Spiritual Assemblies , representing 30 tribes, and had dispatched 9 Baháʼí pioneers to other African locations. Following the reign of Idi Amin when
806-457: The two in 2001. A 2015 study estimated some 35,000 believers in Christ from a Muslim background residing in the country at the time. According to the 2014 National Census, 14 percent of Ugandans adhered to Islam. Most Muslims are Sunni , with a small minority of Shia Muslims. There was a small group of Ahmadis in the country in 2012. There are a small community of Ugandan Jews called
837-665: Was a guerilla army and the military wing of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) that fought in the Ugandan Bush War against the government of Milton Obote , and later the government of Tito Okello . NRA was supported by Muammar Gaddafi . NRA was formed in 1981 when Yoweri Museveni 's Popular Resistance Army (PRA) merged with ex-president Yusuf Lule 's group, the Uganda Freedom Fighters (UFF). Museveni, then leader of
868-524: Was a common role for women to hold. However, Alice claimed to be a nebi , which is the Swahili word for ' prophet ' instead of ajwaka , the Swahili word for a normal medium. Alice followed Catholicism, but it is widely unknown if she converted because her spirits instructed her to, or if she converted before becoming 'possessed'. Alice claimed to become possessed by spirits in either January or May 1985. According to reports, she grew numb and disappeared into
899-1029: Was a result in a split in the Presbyterian church. The United Apostolic Church of Uganda, a Pentecostal denomination affiliated with the UPCI , has 424,739 constituents in 654 churches. Baptist has its origins in American mission of the Southern Baptist Convention in 1963. The Baptist Union of Uganda was founded in 1974. According to a denomination census released in 2020, it claimed 1,800 churches and 550,000 members. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints claims more than 14,000 members in 27 congregations in Uganda. They also have two family history centers. The Society of Friends has two yearly meetings , Uganda Yearly Meeting, part of Friends United Meeting and Evangelical Friends Church . There were about 3,000 members between
930-417: Was also prohibited for followers to be angry, to eat food cooked in a saucepan, to have more or less than two testicles, to eat with people not anointed with oils, and to kill snakes. Oftentimes, soldiers would receive odd instructions, like reciting mantra -like phrases on the front lines before proceeding into battle, and sprinkling themselves with water before drinking after a battle. After being recruited as
961-450: Was less of a unified rebel movement, and more broadly encompassed different rebel groups that operated under a spiritual medium . These mediums never engaged in physical combat, but were instead more influential in strategizing and creating the belief system of their armies. Alice Lakwena felt she was connected to the spiritual world, and could become possessed by spirits . Alice was a spiritual medium and healer in her town of Gulu, which