Pro-Government Militias

Pro-Government Militia Website

Interahamwe Militia (Rwanda)

Basic Group Information

Name assigned by coder: no
PGM ID Number: 307
Country: Rwanda
Date formed: Jan. 1, 1991
    Accuracy of date formed: year
Details of Formation: The Interahamwe was created in 1991 and was set up as the youth wing of the ruling MRND party. They formed alongside the Impuzamugambi militia, which was set up by the CDR party.
Date dissolved: July 18, 1994
    Accuracy of date dissolved: day
Details of Termination: After the genocide members of Interahamwe and the change in government the militia ceased to be pro-government. During the war, many members moved into refugee camps in neighboring countries and mixed with the Tutsis. Due to this, bringing the Interahamwe to justice after the genocide became difficult for the courts. Some members fled to the DR Congo and created the rebel movement “Armée de Libération du Rwanda” there. (Wikipedia; Braithwaite 2010: 311)
Termination Type(s): change in government

Former and Successor Group Information

Predecessor group(s): none
Successor group(s): none
Private Military Company? no
Former Group? no
    Former Armed Group? no
Former Rebel Group? no
    Former Rebel Group UCDP ID: none
PGM Becomes Rebel Group? yes
    Successor Rebel Group UCDP ID: 528, 1128

Government Relation, Support, and Training

Government Relation: informal (type 1)
Created by the Government?: yes
    Main Creating Government Institution: person/minister
Government Link(s): political party
    If link to party, name of party: MRND (Mouv. rép national pour la démoc. et le dévelop.)
Training and Equipment: yes
Shared Information and Joint Operations: yes
Shared Personnel: no
Type(s) of Material Support: domestic government; military; Foreign government
State Sponsor(s): France
Other Connection(s):

Group Characteristics

Membership: ethnic; adolescents
Primary Membership: ethnic
Alternative Primary Membership: no information
Location:
Force Strength: [unknown, 1700]
Target(s): civilians; unarmed political opposition, government critics; ethnic group; aid workers; international peacekeeping force
Purpose(s): protect state, national or religious institutions; intimidation of ethnic/religious groups

Ethnic Characteristics

Ethnic Target(s): Tutsi (Rwanda)
    Quality of Information for Ethnic Targeting: given
Ethnic Membership: Hutu (Rwanda)
    Quality of Information for Ethnic Membership: given
Ethnic Purpose: Tutsi (Rwanda)
    Quality of Information for Ethnic Purpose: given

Other Information

Other Information:

New Variables from Meta-Analysis

Purpose

Purpose: The group was set up as the youth wing of the ruling MRND party in Rwanda. Already before the genocide their violent behavior targeted Tutsis and moderate Hutus, which was intensified after the assassination of President Habyarimana (Amnesty 1994b).
Relative Benefit(s) of PGM Use unknown

Treatment of Civilians

Treatment of Civilians: The militia attacked Tutsi civilians before the genocide and was backed by the Hutu government. Their use of violence became more extensive after the assassination of President Habyarimana and during the genocide (Amnesty 1994a).
Type(s) of Violence against Civilians: kidnapping/abductions; killing; beating; torture

Reasons for Membership

PGM Members Coerced? no information
PGM Members Paid? no information
Reasons for Membership: Members were driven by their ethnic loyalty and joined to fight against all perceived threats for Hutus such as Tutsis or moderate Hutus.
PGM Members Killed? rarely

PGM Size

Size: One source reports that there are 1,700 militia members.

Weapons and Training

Weapons and Training: The Interahamwe militia received weapons including ammunition and grenades from government forces. Presidential Guard and the French military gave members of the milItia military training courses before the genocide.

Organisation

Organisation: The militia was initially created by the MRND party as its youth wing. Over time they received weapons and training and became a militia. Their leader was MRND-affiliated politician Robert Kajuga (Wikipedia).

Reference(s) for Meta-Analysis

Amnesty International. 1994a. “Mass murder by government supporters and troops in April and May 1994”. AI Index: AFR 47/11/94. 23 May.
Amnesty International. 1994b. “Rwanda: Cases for Appeals”. AI Index: AFR 47/017/1994. 01 November.
Braithwaite, Alex. 2010. "Resisting infection: How state capacity conditions conflict contagion." Journal of Peace Research 47(3): 311-319.
Wikipedia. “Interahamwe”. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interahamwe




Evidence