Pro-Government Militias
Zero Network (Akazu) (Rwanda)
Basic Group Information
| Name assigned by coder: | no |
| PGM ID Number: | 496 |
| Country: | Rwanda |
| Date formed: | Oct. 1, 1990 |
| Accuracy of date formed: | month |
| Details of Formation: | The group was formed by military colonel Bagosora after the Rwandan Patriotic Front guerrillas attempted to invade Rwanda in 1990. |
| Date dissolved: | July 18, 1994 |
| Accuracy of date dissolved: | year |
| Details of Termination: | It is not clear whether the group was also active during the genocide. But as there was a change in government in 1994, the PGM was terminated. |
| 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? | no |
| Successor Rebel Group UCDP ID: | none |
Government Relation, Support, and Training
| Government Relation: | informal (type 1) |
| Created by the Government?: | yes | Main Creating Government Institution: | other; governing party |
| Government Link(s): | person/minister; political party |
| If link to party, name of party: | National Republican Movement for Democracy and Development (MRND) |
| Training and Equipment: | yes |
| Shared Information and Joint Operations: | yes |
| Shared Personnel: | yes |
| Type(s) of Material Support: | domestic government; corporation; Foreign government |
| State Sponsor(s): | France |
| Other Connection(s): |
Group Characteristics
| Membership: | ethnic; ideology |
| Primary Membership: | no information |
| Alternative Primary Membership: | no information |
| Location: | |
| Force Strength: | [unknown, unknown] |
| Target(s): | civilians; unarmed political opposition, government critics; ethnic group |
| Purpose(s): | protect state, national or religious leader(s); intimidation of ethnic/religious groups; intimidate political opposition |
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: | A civilian-military death squad that committed massacres before the genocide was unleashed; Instrument of power of the Zero Network, a circle of friends and family of president Habyarimana which masterminded the genocide and was a subset of the Akazu group; accused of shooting down the presidents plane which is seen as the starting point for the 1994 genocide. |
New Variables from Meta-Analysis
Purpose
| Purpose: | The militia was created to counter all opposition, Tutsis and moderate Hutus and to protect President Habyarimana. |
| Relative Benefit(s) of PGM Use | unknown |
Treatment of Civilians
| Treatment of Civilians: | The Zero Network is closely linked to death squads such as the Impuzamugambi militia and was linked to killings of Tutsis and Hutus opposed to the Habyariamana regime already before the genocide. |
| Type(s) of Violence against Civilians: | killing |
Reasons for Membership
| PGM Members Coerced? | no |
| PGM Members Paid? | no information |
| Reasons for Membership: | Rwandans joined the Zero Network because of their ethnic loyalty and their belief in the “Hutu Power” ideology (Wikipedia). |
| PGM Members Killed? | never |
PGM Size
| Size: | There is no information on the group’s force strength. |
Weapons and Training
| Weapons and Training: | The group is trained by the French, but there is no information on which weapons the group uses. |
Organisation
| Organisation: | The militia was created by a military colonel, but there is no information on who the group’s leader is and how they are organized. Sources report that the group consisted of a circle of President Habyarimana’s close friends and relatives. (Wikipedia) |
Reference(s) for Meta-Analysis
Evidence
- Examine the evidence for this coding.