Pro-Government Militias
ALiR (Army for the Liberation of Rwanda) (Congo Kinshasa)
Basic Group Information
| Name assigned by coder: | no |
| PGM ID Number: | 421 |
| Country: | Congo Kinshasa |
| Date formed: | Jan. 1, 1998 |
| Accuracy of date formed: | year |
| Details of Formation: | The PGM was created when Hutus fled from Rwanda into the Congo after the Tutsi government was established. Members of ALiR were former Interahamwe militiamen and former Rwandan soldiers. The group became pro-government in Congo when President Kabila began providing military support to the ALiR during the Second Congo War in 1998. (Wikipedia) |
| Date dissolved: | Sept. 26, 2002 |
| Accuracy of date dissolved: | day |
| Details of Termination: | In 2001 after President Kabila’s assassination, the ALiR agreed to merge with the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), although it is still sometimes referred to as ALiR by sources after that time. A source reports that the government in Kinshasa halted support for the ALiR in 2002. |
| Termination Type(s): | none |
Former and Successor Group Information
| Predecessor group(s): | none |
| Successor group(s): | Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) |
| Private Military Company? | no |
| Former Group? | yes |
| Former Armed Group? | yes |
| Former Rebel Group? | yes |
| Former Rebel Group UCDP ID: | 1128 |
| PGM Becomes Rebel Group? | no |
| Successor Rebel Group UCDP ID: | none |
Government Relation, Support, and Training
| Government Relation: | informal (type 1) |
| Created by the Government?: | no | Main Creating Government Institution: | none |
| Government Link(s): | state (institution) |
| If link to party, name of party: | |
| Training and Equipment: | yes |
| Shared Information and Joint Operations: | no information |
| Shared Personnel: | no information |
| Type(s) of Material Support: | domestic government |
| State Sponsor(s): | none |
| Other Connection(s): |
Group Characteristics
| Membership: | ethnic; ideology; village/rural; ex soldiers; foreign nationals |
| Primary Membership: | noncivilian |
| Alternative Primary Membership: | no information |
| Location: | Kivu |
| Force Strength: | [12000, 22000] |
| Target(s): | rebels, insurgents, or other armed group; ethnic group; regular military force; foreigners |
| Purpose(s): | protect national borders and integrity; intimidation of ethnic/religious groups; destabilise neighbouring countries; fight insurgents |
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: | Used to fight against Rwandan invaders |
New Variables from Meta-Analysis
Purpose
| Purpose: | The ALiR,which is the successor group of the Hutu militias from Rwanda, continued to fight against the Tutsi government in Rwanda led by Kagame and their allies such as Uganda. They also fought against foreigners in the DRC to gain support from the local population. The Congolese government aligned with the militia during the Second Congo War in 1998 when the Congolese Rally for Democracy (supported by the Rwandan government) tried to overthrow President Kabila. (Wikipedia) |
| Relative Benefit(s) of PGM Use | unknown |
Treatment of Civilians
| Treatment of Civilians: | The militia targeted foreigners and Tutsis with violent acts. Until 2002, the group was backed by the Congolese government. After 2002, the government stops supporting the militia and their violence against civilians. |
| Type(s) of Violence against Civilians: | kidnapping/abductions; killing; beating |
Reasons for Membership
| PGM Members Coerced? | no |
| PGM Members Paid? | no information |
| Reasons for Membership: | Members joined the PGM because of their ethnic loyalty. As they believed in the “Hutu Power” ideology, their objective was to fight all Tutsis and their supporters (Wikipedia). |
| PGM Members Killed? | never |
PGM Size
| Size: | The PGM has 12,000 to 22,000 members. |
Weapons and Training
| Weapons and Training: | Starting from 1998, the Congolese government provided training and arms to the PGM members as President Kabila used them to fight against insurgents who wanted to overthrow him. (Wikipedia) |
Organisation
| Organisation: | The militia’s leader was Paul Rwarakabije who was a former Rwandan military officer. |
Reference(s) for Meta-Analysis
Evidence
- Examine the evidence for this coding.