Analysis of information sources in references of the Wikipedia article "Lord's Resistance Army" in English language version.
Aspects of the LRA's spiritual beliefs and practices are rooted in religious elements that emerged in the Acholi society over a long time. Rebel leader Kony is a spirit medium and is visited by several spirits who fight with the LRA. There are also elements of Catholic, Pentecostal and Muslim faith to be found in the LRA's spiritual practices.
By late 1986 a prophetess appeared, Alice Auma, nicknamed "Lakwena" ("Messenger of God"), who preached a curious syncretic mixture of prophetic Christianity, spirit cults and readapted traditional religion. (...) The LRA is often mistakenly described as a "Christian fundamentalist" group because it has declared that Uganda should have no constitution but should be governed according to the Ten Commandments. In fact Kony adheres to the same confused blend of Christianity, spirit cults and disconnected elements of traditional religion which went into the making of the Holy Spirit Movement.
In 1986, a religious prophet named Alice Lakwena established the Holy Spirit Movement and created an armed resistance claiming to be inspired by God. Lakwena felt that the Acholi could defeat the government of Museveni by the use of witchcraft and spiritualism embedded in their culture. Ideologically, the group was a syncretic mix of African mysticism, Acholi nationalism, Islam, and Christian fundamentalism, and is an interesting example of many such messianic and prophet led rebellions across the continent over the last century.
