Cultic Studies Review, Vol. 7, No. 2, 2008, Page 31
submit. It is extremely rare for a girl to survive after she successfully refuses her
commander.17
The higher a member of the LRA ascends, the more wives he receives. Kony has the most
wives, totaling somewhere between thirty and eighty-eight (Behrend 1999a, 194). Kony‘s
senior commanders each have eight wives, and other high ranks (some still children)
receive four wives (Amnesty International 1997, 20). Upon death or leave of a commander,
Kony may redistribute his wives amongst other commanders, or (rarely) release a widowed
abductee (Amnesty International 1997, 19).18 Because most LRA soldiers do not receive
wives and the LRA considers boys to be stronger, about 70 percent of all abductees are
male (Allen 2006, 64). Nevertheless, girls who are abducted face greater barriers to escape
because they often are kept in the LRA‘s permanent bases or base camps during battles
(most escapees leave the LRA during or shortly after battles). Also, they often have born
children into the group and the physical presence of these children greatly complicates
escape possibilities.
Spiritualism in Guerrilla Warfare
At some point, all children in the LRA experience the LRA‘s spiritually justified guerrilla
tactics. Some children, however, experience more battles than others, depending on the
tasks to which they were assigned. For instance, a child who is a wife, wife assistant, or
hauler may experience fewer battles than a soldier because the LRA uses all children only in
unplanned battles. In planned battles, the LRA prefers to use trained (albeit inadequately
trained) soldiers, although it may also use some untrained soldiers on the front lines.
Because many children do not know how to fight and do not wield weapons, the LRA uses
its spiritual teachings to discipline soldiers and, to some extent, all children.
Before recruits become soldiers, the LRA conducts a spiritual initiation designed to give
them more confidence in their ability to fight. Initiation for soldiers is similar to that of new
recruits and girls. Prior to the ritual, Kony creates an environment that recruits often
attribute to the powers of his jogi. To prepare new soldiers, Kony and his controllers (LRA
members who assist with spiritual affairs) draw crosses on children‘s foreheads and chests
with a mixture of shea butter and ochre, and then they arrange the children into the shape
of a cross (Behrend 1999a, 183). Only after preparation can Kony‘s soldiers enter the yard
(an area designated for divining and cleansing), where Kony begins the service (Behrend
1999a, 183). Next, Kony‘s controllers sprinkle the soldiers with holy water that Kony
gathers from a rock near Awere (a town located in northern Uganda) this water allegedly
cleanses them of witchcraft and sorcery, and loads them with malaika (spirit or angel
[Behrend 1999b, 29 Doom, and Vlassenroot 1998, 23]).
During this process, Kony wears a Kansu (the Muslim garment that he also wears during
channeling sessions) and instructs his soldiers to give themselves to God in exchange for
protection from the malaika (Behrend 1999a, 183). After the initiation, controllers draw
white ashes into a cross on each soldier‘s body for protection from injury and disease
(Behrend 1999a, 183). Finally, Kony prohibits his initiated soldiers from touching any
uninitiated soldiers for three days at risk of losing the malaika‘s protection, thereby isolating
purified and protected soldiers from other abductees (Behrend 1999a, 183).19
Before a planned battle, LRA commanders and soldiers respond to the jogi‟s commands,
which change slightly from battle to battle, as voiced through Kony (Hovil and Lomo 2004,
30 HRW 1997, 34). Jogi‟s orders for commanders often differ from those imposed on
soldiers. For example, an escapee named Lily says that Kony‘s jogi require that
commanders do not sleep with their wives the night before fighting (HRW 1997, 34). Other
pre-battle rules apply to all soldiers, commanders, and children, such as rules about which
stones they are not to step on or to throw (HRW 1997, 34).
submit. It is extremely rare for a girl to survive after she successfully refuses her
commander.17
The higher a member of the LRA ascends, the more wives he receives. Kony has the most
wives, totaling somewhere between thirty and eighty-eight (Behrend 1999a, 194). Kony‘s
senior commanders each have eight wives, and other high ranks (some still children)
receive four wives (Amnesty International 1997, 20). Upon death or leave of a commander,
Kony may redistribute his wives amongst other commanders, or (rarely) release a widowed
abductee (Amnesty International 1997, 19).18 Because most LRA soldiers do not receive
wives and the LRA considers boys to be stronger, about 70 percent of all abductees are
male (Allen 2006, 64). Nevertheless, girls who are abducted face greater barriers to escape
because they often are kept in the LRA‘s permanent bases or base camps during battles
(most escapees leave the LRA during or shortly after battles). Also, they often have born
children into the group and the physical presence of these children greatly complicates
escape possibilities.
Spiritualism in Guerrilla Warfare
At some point, all children in the LRA experience the LRA‘s spiritually justified guerrilla
tactics. Some children, however, experience more battles than others, depending on the
tasks to which they were assigned. For instance, a child who is a wife, wife assistant, or
hauler may experience fewer battles than a soldier because the LRA uses all children only in
unplanned battles. In planned battles, the LRA prefers to use trained (albeit inadequately
trained) soldiers, although it may also use some untrained soldiers on the front lines.
Because many children do not know how to fight and do not wield weapons, the LRA uses
its spiritual teachings to discipline soldiers and, to some extent, all children.
Before recruits become soldiers, the LRA conducts a spiritual initiation designed to give
them more confidence in their ability to fight. Initiation for soldiers is similar to that of new
recruits and girls. Prior to the ritual, Kony creates an environment that recruits often
attribute to the powers of his jogi. To prepare new soldiers, Kony and his controllers (LRA
members who assist with spiritual affairs) draw crosses on children‘s foreheads and chests
with a mixture of shea butter and ochre, and then they arrange the children into the shape
of a cross (Behrend 1999a, 183). Only after preparation can Kony‘s soldiers enter the yard
(an area designated for divining and cleansing), where Kony begins the service (Behrend
1999a, 183). Next, Kony‘s controllers sprinkle the soldiers with holy water that Kony
gathers from a rock near Awere (a town located in northern Uganda) this water allegedly
cleanses them of witchcraft and sorcery, and loads them with malaika (spirit or angel
[Behrend 1999b, 29 Doom, and Vlassenroot 1998, 23]).
During this process, Kony wears a Kansu (the Muslim garment that he also wears during
channeling sessions) and instructs his soldiers to give themselves to God in exchange for
protection from the malaika (Behrend 1999a, 183). After the initiation, controllers draw
white ashes into a cross on each soldier‘s body for protection from injury and disease
(Behrend 1999a, 183). Finally, Kony prohibits his initiated soldiers from touching any
uninitiated soldiers for three days at risk of losing the malaika‘s protection, thereby isolating
purified and protected soldiers from other abductees (Behrend 1999a, 183).19
Before a planned battle, LRA commanders and soldiers respond to the jogi‟s commands,
which change slightly from battle to battle, as voiced through Kony (Hovil and Lomo 2004,
30 HRW 1997, 34). Jogi‟s orders for commanders often differ from those imposed on
soldiers. For example, an escapee named Lily says that Kony‘s jogi require that
commanders do not sleep with their wives the night before fighting (HRW 1997, 34). Other
pre-battle rules apply to all soldiers, commanders, and children, such as rules about which
stones they are not to step on or to throw (HRW 1997, 34).
