Pro-Government Militias
Impuzamugambi (Rwanda)
Basic Group Information
| Name assigned by coder: | no |
| PGM ID Number: | 591 |
| Country: | Rwanda |
| Date formed: | Jan. 1, 1992 |
| Accuracy of date formed: | year |
| Details of Formation: | The group was created in 1992 and developed from the youth wing of the extremist party “Coalition for the Defense of the Republic” (CDR). Senior government officials also known as “Akazu” created the group after opposing the peace negotiations that President Habyarimana initiated. (Wikipedia) |
| Date dissolved: | July 18, 1994 |
| Accuracy of date dissolved: | day |
| Details of Termination: | Status as pro-government ends with end of genocide, when the Rwandan Patriotic Front announces the end of the war and names Pasteur Bizimungu as new President. Many members of the militia fled to the neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo. (Wikipedia) |
| 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: | state (institution) |
| Government Link(s): | person/minister; political party; military (institution) |
| If link to party, name of party: | Coalition for the Defense of the Republic (CDR) |
| Training and Equipment: | yes |
| Shared Information and Joint Operations: | yes |
| Shared Personnel: | no |
| Type(s) of Material Support: | domestic government; plunder and loot; military |
| State Sponsor(s): | none |
| Other Connection(s): |
Group Characteristics
| Membership: | ethnic; adolescents |
| Primary Membership: | ethnic |
| Alternative Primary Membership: | no information |
| Location: | |
| Force Strength: | [unknown, unknown] |
| Target(s): | civilians; unarmed political opposition, government critics; rebels, insurgents, or other armed group; ethnic group |
| Purpose(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: |
New Variables from Meta-Analysis
Purpose
| Purpose: | The Rwandan Akazu (“The house that surrounded the president”) is a circle of hardliner government officials. They created the militia to commit ethnic cleansing of all Tutsis in the country and to eliminate moderate Hutus. |
| Relative Benefit(s) of PGM Use | unknown |
Treatment of Civilians
| Treatment of Civilians: | The PGM was active in the Rwandan Genocide and committed extensive violence against Tutsi civilians and moderate Hutus. Many party leaders of the ruling “National Republican Movement for Democracy and Development” were also involved in the CDR’s militia, so the government tolerated predatory behavior. |
| Type(s) of Violence against Civilians: | killing; beating |
Reasons for Membership
| PGM Members Coerced? | no information |
| PGM Members Paid? | yes |
| Reasons for Membership: | Adolescent Hutus were motivated to join the miltia in prospect of payment and because of their ethnic loyalty. |
| PGM Members Killed? | no information |
PGM Size
| Size: | There is no information on the force strength, but it is known that the militia must be smaller than the Interahamwe militia. (Wikipedia) |
Weapons and Training
| Weapons and Training: | The military, the government and the presidential guards provided Impuzamugambi with weapons and training. |
Organisation
| Organisation: | Impuzamugambi was controlled by the Akazu and recruited its members from the youth wing of the CDR. During the genocide it had close ties to the government from which it received money and also to the Rwandan Government Forces from which it received weapons. (Wikipedia) |
Reference(s) for Meta-Analysis
Evidence
- Examine the evidence for this coding.