Interahamwe
Encyclopedia
The Interahamwe is a Hutu
paramilitary
organization. The militia enjoyed the backing of the Hutu-led government leading up to, during, and after the Rwandan Genocide
. Since the genocide, they have been forced out of Rwanda, and have sought asylum in Congo. They are currently a terrorist group hiding in the Congo and the Ugandan forest.
Interahamwe can be broken up this way: Intera is derived from the verb gutera, meaning "to work". The hamwe means "together" and is related to the word rimwe for "one". "work" was used as slang on racist radios, Working meant using the machete or killing.
English
speakers usually pronounce it as ˌɪntərəˈhɑːmweɪ, though it is pronounced inheɾahamwe in Kinyarwanda. However, Rwandans sometimes, when speaking English will pronounce it in the English manner. The difference can be observed by listening to Paul Rusesabagina
in the Return to Rwanda feature of a Hotel Rwanda
DVD, and to the translator for a survivor of the Nyarubuye massacre
in "Frontline" Ghosts of Rwanda. In Hotel Rwanda, the name is consistently erroneously spelled and pronounced as "Interhamwe".
, a Tutsi (unusual for this group), was the President of the Interahamwe. The Vice President of Interahamwe was Georges Rutaganda
. The Interahamwe was formed by groups of young people of the MRND party. They carried out the Rwandan Genocide acts against the Tutsis in 1994. The Interahamwe formed RTLM, the genocidal radio station which was used to broadcast where the Tutsis were fleeing.
Following the invasion of the Rwandan capital Kigali
by the Tutsi Rwandese Patriotic Front (RPF), many Rwandan civilians and members of the Interahamwe fled to neighbouring countries, most notably to what at the time was Zaire
, now Democratic Republic of Congo, and Tanzania. The Sudan welcomed former Interahamwe to Juba
, and in March 1998, Colonel Tharcisse Renzaho, the former prefect of Kigali, and Colonel Ntiwiragabo, the former Rwandan Presidential Guard commander, arrived in Juba from Nairobi to organize them. It has been nearly impossible to bring the Interahamwe to justice because they did not wear uniforms or have a clearly organized group of followers. They were the neighbors, friends and co-workers of Tutsis. Throughout the war, members of the Interahamwe moved into camps of refugees and the internally displaced. There the victims were mixed in with the enemy and to this day it cannot be proven who killed whom.
During the war, millions of Rwandan Hutu
refugees fled to Zaire
(now the Democratic Republic of the Congo), along with many members of the Interahamwe, Presidential Guard, and the Rwandan Government Forces (RGF). Following the recruitment of significant numbers of Congolese Hutu the organization took the name Armée de Libération du Rwanda (ALiR). With the Kagame
regime still in power, members still take part in border raids from the refugee camps.
, sitting in Arusha
, Tanzania
. The tribunal has convicted at least 41 persons, often with life sentences, including former interim Prime Minister Jean Kambanda
and Georges Rutaganda
. Fugitives have been captured and prosecuted in other countries, including Jean-Marie Vianney Mudahinyuka (a.k.a.“Zuzu”), an Interahamwe leader arrested in the United States and deported in February 2011.
Hutu
The Hutu , or Abahutu, are a Central African people, living mainly in Rwanda, Burundi, and eastern DR Congo.-Population statistics:The Hutu are the largest of the three peoples in Burundi and Rwanda; according to the United States Central Intelligence Agency, 84% of Rwandans and 85% of Burundians...
paramilitary
Paramilitary
A paramilitary is a force whose function and organization are similar to those of a professional military, but which is not considered part of a state's formal armed forces....
organization. The militia enjoyed the backing of the Hutu-led government leading up to, during, and after the Rwandan Genocide
Rwandan Genocide
The Rwandan Genocide was the 1994 mass murder of an estimated 800,000 people in the small East African nation of Rwanda. Over the course of approximately 100 days through mid-July, over 500,000 people were killed, according to a Human Rights Watch estimate...
. Since the genocide, they have been forced out of Rwanda, and have sought asylum in Congo. They are currently a terrorist group hiding in the Congo and the Ugandan forest.
Origin of the name
The name Interahamwe can be translated as "Those who work together" or "Those who fight together".Interahamwe can be broken up this way: Intera is derived from the verb gutera, meaning "to work". The hamwe means "together" and is related to the word rimwe for "one". "work" was used as slang on racist radios, Working meant using the machete or killing.
English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
speakers usually pronounce it as ˌɪntərəˈhɑːmweɪ, though it is pronounced inheɾahamwe in Kinyarwanda. However, Rwandans sometimes, when speaking English will pronounce it in the English manner. The difference can be observed by listening to Paul Rusesabagina
Paul Rusesabagina
Paul Rusesabagina is a Rwandan humanitarian who has been internationally honored for saving 1,268 refugees during the Rwandan Genocide. He was the assistant manager of the Sabena Hôtel des Mille Collines before he became the manager of the Hôtel des Diplomates, both in Kigali, Rwanda...
in the Return to Rwanda feature of a Hotel Rwanda
Hotel Rwanda
Hotel Rwanda is a 2004 American drama film directed by Terry George. It was adapted from a screenplay written by both George and Keir Pearson. Based on real life events which took place in Rwanda during the spring of 1994, the film stars Don Cheadle as hotelier Paul Rusesabagina, who attempts to...
DVD, and to the translator for a survivor of the Nyarubuye massacre
Nyarubuye massacre
The Nyarubuye massacre is the name given to the killing of an estimated 20,000 civilians on April 15-April 16, 1994 at the Nyarubuye Roman Catholic Church in Kibungo Province, east of the Rwandan capital Kigali. The victims were Tutsis and Hutu moderates who had sought refuge in the church...
in "Frontline" Ghosts of Rwanda. In Hotel Rwanda, the name is consistently erroneously spelled and pronounced as "Interhamwe".
Organization and history
Robert KajugaRobert Kajuga
Jerry Robert Kajuga was the national president of the Hutu extremist militia, the Interahamwe, which was largely responsible for perpetrating the Rwandan Genocide in 1994....
, a Tutsi (unusual for this group), was the President of the Interahamwe. The Vice President of Interahamwe was Georges Rutaganda
Georges Rutaganda
Georges Rutaganda was the vice president of the Rwandan Hutu militia Interahamwe.Rutaganda was partly responsible for the Rwandan Genocide of 1994...
. The Interahamwe was formed by groups of young people of the MRND party. They carried out the Rwandan Genocide acts against the Tutsis in 1994. The Interahamwe formed RTLM, the genocidal radio station which was used to broadcast where the Tutsis were fleeing.
Following the invasion of the Rwandan capital Kigali
Kigali
Kigali, population 965,398 , is the capital and largest city of Rwanda. It is situated near the geographic centre of the nation, and has been the economic, cultural, and transport hub of Rwanda since it became capital at independence in 1962. The main residence and offices of the President of...
by the Tutsi Rwandese Patriotic Front (RPF), many Rwandan civilians and members of the Interahamwe fled to neighbouring countries, most notably to what at the time was Zaire
Zaire
The Republic of Zaire was the name of the present Democratic Republic of the Congo between 27 October 1971 and 17 May 1997. The name of Zaire derives from the , itself an adaptation of the Kongo word nzere or nzadi, or "the river that swallows all rivers".-Self-proclaimed Father of the Nation:In...
, now Democratic Republic of Congo, and Tanzania. The Sudan welcomed former Interahamwe to Juba
Juba, Sudan
Juba is the capital and largest city of the Republic of South Sudan. It also serves as the capital of Central Equatoria, the smallest of the ten states of South Sudan. The city is situated on the White Nile and functions as the seat and metropolis of Juba County.- Population :In 2005, Juba's...
, and in March 1998, Colonel Tharcisse Renzaho, the former prefect of Kigali, and Colonel Ntiwiragabo, the former Rwandan Presidential Guard commander, arrived in Juba from Nairobi to organize them. It has been nearly impossible to bring the Interahamwe to justice because they did not wear uniforms or have a clearly organized group of followers. They were the neighbors, friends and co-workers of Tutsis. Throughout the war, members of the Interahamwe moved into camps of refugees and the internally displaced. There the victims were mixed in with the enemy and to this day it cannot be proven who killed whom.
During the war, millions of Rwandan Hutu
Hutu
The Hutu , or Abahutu, are a Central African people, living mainly in Rwanda, Burundi, and eastern DR Congo.-Population statistics:The Hutu are the largest of the three peoples in Burundi and Rwanda; according to the United States Central Intelligence Agency, 84% of Rwandans and 85% of Burundians...
refugees fled to Zaire
Zaire
The Republic of Zaire was the name of the present Democratic Republic of the Congo between 27 October 1971 and 17 May 1997. The name of Zaire derives from the , itself an adaptation of the Kongo word nzere or nzadi, or "the river that swallows all rivers".-Self-proclaimed Father of the Nation:In...
(now the Democratic Republic of the Congo), along with many members of the Interahamwe, Presidential Guard, and the Rwandan Government Forces (RGF). Following the recruitment of significant numbers of Congolese Hutu the organization took the name Armée de Libération du Rwanda (ALiR). With the Kagame
Paul Kagame
Paul Kagame is the sixth and current President of the Republic of Rwanda. He rose to prominence as the leader of the Rwandan Patriotic Front , whose victory over the incumbent government in July 1994 effectively ended the Rwandan genocide...
regime still in power, members still take part in border raids from the refugee camps.
Post Rwandan Genocide
In 1999, Interahamwe attacked and kidnapped a group of 14 tourists in Bwindi National Park, Uganda. Eight of the tourists were killed. The story was featured on National Geographic, Locked Up Abroad: UgandaProsecution
Leaders of the Interahamwe have been primarily prosecuted through the International Criminal Tribunal for RwandaInternational Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda
The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda is an international court established in November 1994 by the United Nations Security Council in Resolution 955 in order to judge people responsible for the Rwandan Genocide and other serious violations of international law in Rwanda, or by Rwandan...
, sitting in Arusha
Arusha
Arusha is a city in northern Tanzania. It is the capital of the Arusha Region, which claims a population of 1,288,088, including 281,608 for the Arusha District . Arusha is surrounded by some of Africa's most famous landscapes and national parks...
, Tanzania
Tanzania
The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
. The tribunal has convicted at least 41 persons, often with life sentences, including former interim Prime Minister Jean Kambanda
Jean Kambanda
Jean Kambanda was the Prime Minister in the caretaker government of Rwanda from the start of the 1994 Rwandan Genocide...
and Georges Rutaganda
Georges Rutaganda
Georges Rutaganda was the vice president of the Rwandan Hutu militia Interahamwe.Rutaganda was partly responsible for the Rwandan Genocide of 1994...
. Fugitives have been captured and prosecuted in other countries, including Jean-Marie Vianney Mudahinyuka (a.k.a.“Zuzu”), an Interahamwe leader arrested in the United States and deported in February 2011.
External links
- Interahamwe: A serious military threat BBC NewsBBC NewsBBC News is the department of the British Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs. The department is the world's largest broadcast news organisation and generates about 120 hours of radio and television output each day, as well as online...
in 1999 - CONVENTIONAL WISDOM AND RWANDA'S GENOCIDE: An Opinion, African Studies QuarterlyAfrican Studies QuarterlyAfrican Studies Quarterly is a peer-reviewed electronic academic journal published quarterly by the Center for African Studies at the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, USA. The journal is indexed by the Public Affairs Information Service and by the Gale Group....
, Spring 2004