Interahamwe

The Interahamwe (Kinyarwanda meaning Those Who Stand Together or Those Who Fight Together) was the largest of the militias formed by the Hutu ethnic majority of Rwanda and was responsible for many of the deaths in the Rwandan Genocide of 1994.

Related Topics:
Kinyarwanda - Militia - Hutu - Rwanda - Rwandan Genocide - 1994

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Following the liberation of Rwandan capital Kigali by the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), many members of the Interahamwe fled to neighbouring countries, most notably to what at the time was Zaire, now Democratic Republic of Congo. Not officially disbanded, members still take part in border raids, such as those that led to the First and Second Congo Wars.

Related Topics:
Kigali - Rwandan Patriotic Front - Zaire - Democratic Republic of Congo - First - Second Congo War

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Once the Interahamwe moved to Zaire they and the Hutu ex-government soldiers began to be known as the Rassemblement Démocratique pour le Rwanda (roughly, Democratic Rally for Rwanda). Following the recruitment of significant numbers of Congolese Hutu the organization took the name Armée de Libération du Rwanda (ALiR).

Related Topics:
Zaire - Armée de Libération du Rwanda

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