Editing Interahamwe (section)

{{short description|Paramilitary group involved in 1994 Rwandan Genocide}}
{{Infobox War Faction
| name             = Interahamwe
| war              = [[Rwandan genocide]]<br>[[First Congo War]]<br>[[Second Congo War]]
| image            = [[File:Flag of the Rwandan Democratic Movement.svg|250px]]
| caption          = Flag of the Interahamwe
| leaders          = [[Robert Kajuga (Interahamwe)|Robert Kajuga]] (president)<br>[[Georges Rutaganda]] (vice president)<br>[[Augustin Bizimungu]]<br>[[Tharcisse Renzaho]]<br>[[Ildephonse Hategekimana|Ildéphonse Hategekimana]]<br>[[Ildéphonse Nizeyimana]]<br>[[Protais Mpiranya]]<br>[[Callixte Nzabonimana]]<br>[[Aloys Ndimbati]]
| ideology         = [[Hutu Power]]<br>[[Hutu]] [[ultranationalism]]<br>[[Anti-communism]]
| position         = [[Far-right politics|Far-right]]<ref>{{cite web |date= 2024-11-20 |title= Far-Right Politics and Its Historical Marriage to Fascism |url= https://brewminate.com/far-right-politics-and-its-historical-marriage-to-fascism/ |access-date=2025-02-14 |publisher= Brewminate |language=en}}</ref>
| area             = Jungles of [[Uganda]] and the [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]]; formerly [[Rwanda]]
| size             = 100,000 (1994)<br>20,000 (1998)
| allies           = {{flagicon image|Flag of the CDR of Rwanda.svg}} [[Impuzamugambi]]<br>{{flag|Zaire}} (1996–1997)<br>{{flagdeco|Rwanda|1962}} [[Army for the Liberation of Rwanda]] (1996–2001)<br>{{nowrap|{{flag|DR Congo|1997}}}} (1998–2003)<br><!--Commented out: [[File:Logo of the FDLR.jpg|23px]]--> {{flagicon image|Flagge FDLR.svg}} [[Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda|FDLR]] (2000–present)
| opponents        = {{flagicon image|Rwandan Patriotic Front Flag.png}} [[Rwandan Patriotic Front]] (1994)<br>{{flag|Rwanda}} (1994–present)<br>{{flagdeco|Democratic Republic of the Congo|1997}} [[Alliance of Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Congo|AFDL]] (1996–1997)<br>{{flag|Uganda}} (1996–present)
| partof           = [[National Republican Movement for Democracy and Development|MRND]]
}}
{{Rwandan genocide}}
The '''Interahamwe''' ({{IPAc-en|ˌ|ɪ|n|t|ər|ə|ˈ|h|ɑː|m|w|eɪ}} or {{IPA|rw|í.nɦêː.ɾɑ́.hɑ́.mŋe|}}) is a [[Hutu]] [[paramilitary]] organization active in the [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]] and [[Uganda]]. The Interahamwe was formed around 1990, as the [[youth wing]] of the [[National Republican Movement for Democracy and Development]] (MRND according to its French name), the then-ruling party of [[Rwanda]], and enjoyed the backing of the [[Hutu Power]] government. The Interahamwe, led by [[Robert Kajuga (Interahamwe)|Robert Kajuga]], were the main perpetrators of the [[Rwandan genocide]], during which an estimated 500,000 to 1,000,000 [[Tutsi]], [[Twa]], and moderate Hutus were killed from April to July 1994, and the term "Interahamwe" was widened to mean any civilian militias or bands killing Tutsi.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Reyntjens|first1=Filip|title=Rwanda's Untold Story. A reply to "38 scholars, scientists, researchers, journalists and historians"|url=http://africanarguments.org/2014/10/21/rwandas-untold-story-a-reply-to-38-scholars-scientists-researchers-journalists-and-historians-by-filip-reyntjens/|website=African Arguments|date=21 October 2014|access-date=8 December 2017|archive-date=25 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180725222106/http://africanarguments.org/2014/10/21/rwandas-untold-story-a-reply-to-38-scholars-scientists-researchers-journalists-and-historians-by-filip-reyntjens/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Des Forges|first1=Alison|author-link=Alison Des Forges|title=Leave None to Tell the Story: Genocide in Rwanda – The Organization → The Militia|date=March 1999|publisher=[[Human Rights Watch]]|location=New York|isbn=1-56432-171-1|url=https://www.hrw.org/legacy/reports/1999/rwanda/Geno4-7-03.htm|access-date=2017-12-08|archive-date=2021-03-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210307213656/https://www.hrw.org/legacy/reports/1999/rwanda/Geno4-7-03.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>

The Interahamwe were driven out of Rwanda after Tutsi-led [[Rwandan Patriotic Front]] (RPF) victory in the [[Rwandan Civil War]] in July 1994, and are considered a [[terrorist organization]] by many African and [[Western world|Western]] governments. The Interahamwe and splinter groups such as the [[Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda]] (FDLR) continue to wage an [[insurgency]] against Rwanda from neighboring countries, where they are also involved in local conflicts and terrorism.