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The Current War

The current war, although 18 years in duration, must be seen in context of Uganda’s ongoing violent post-colonial history and divide and rule tactics born during the colonial era and continued after independence. When President Museveni came to power in 1986, there is evidence he tried to bring together a wide range of people and individuals from all regions, ethnic, political and religious groups to form a government of national unity. At the same time, although the Acholi community had accepted the NRA seizure of power, and the new National Resistance Movement government headed by Museveni, the government was seen by the Acholi people as stepping up anti-northern sentiment and later in the year, the national army (NRA) is alleged to have escalated tensions by committing atrocities in Acholiland under the guise of putting down a growing rebellion. This included alleged killings, rape, torture, abductions, confiscation of livestock and destruction of local agricultural, education and health infrastructure. Some rationalized that this was in revenge for the Luwero atrocities, alleged against Acholi soldiers.

Despite the anger at human atrocities, the alleged role of the NRA in confiscating cattle and collaborating with raids from Karamajong (Uganda) cattle raiders, cut deeply into the Acholi economy. Cattle and smaller livestock has always represented the wealth in Acholi culture and substituted for a cash economy. Cattle in particular was used to accumulate wealth, pay for educations, tide over families during drought, used for marriage payments and served as inheritance. Between 1985 and 1997, it is estimated, the cattle herds in Acholi were reduced from approximately 300,000 to 5,000, toppling the pastoral-based economy and hence, damaging Acholi culture and its social fabric. The worst raids occurred in l987 when an organized force of Karamajong cattle raiders swept through Kitgum and Gulu and confiscated the vast majority of Acholi livestock. There was evidence and allegations of NRA collusion and participation. There was also evidence that some Acholi cattle were given, loaned or sold to the UPDA, some of which may have been sold for arms and munitions. The stripping of cattle and livestock from Acholi was a severe blow to a people who relied on cattle and livestock to live. Once again, conflict was escalating in Uganda.

When the government, in May 1986 ordered all soldiers to barracks, which included soldiers from Acholi, this recalled the massacres of Acholi soldiers under the Amin regime and many Acholi government soldiers went into hiding. Others fled to Sudan while still others may have taken up arms.. To complicate matters further, the Uganda government was supporting the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) in southern Sudan, which attacked Acholi refugees as an act of solidarity with the Ugandan government. Armed Acholi groups formed to defend against the fear of increased government repression, including the Uganda People’s Democratic Army (UPDA), Alice Lakwena’s Holy Spirit Mobile Forces/Movement (HSMF/HSM), the Severino Lukoya’s Lord’s Army and the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA). While some of these forces, such as UPDA formed to defend against the NRA and government policies, other forces were based on “holy spirit messengers,” aimed at founding a government based on religious principles and to cleanse Acholi society of the “impure.”

Alice Lakwena’s Holy Spirit Movement (HSM) led thousands of Acholis into battle, believing oils rubbed on their chest would protect them from bullets. Eventually, the Holy Spirit Movement was defeated and Alice Lawena went into exile in Kenya. The UPDA signed a peace agreement with the NRA. Severino, the father of Alice Lakwena, tried to assume leadership of the Holy Spirit Movement but was not a popular figure. When he failed to motivate the population as Lakwena had done, he turned to attacking children, as Kony would later do, to sustain the movement. Without popular appeal, however, the Severino movement disbanded. Eventually, one army was left, Lord’s Resistance Army, led by Joseph Kony, a former UPDA commander and Lakwena’s nephew.

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