| Country: | Congo Kinshasa |
| Details of Formation: | The PGM was created when Hutus fled from Rwanda into the Congo after the Tutsi government was established. Members of ALiR were former Interahamwe militiamen and former Rwandan soldiers. The group became pro-government in Congo when President Kabila began providing military support to the ALiR during the Second Congo War in 1998. (Wikipedia) |
| Details of Termination: | In 2001 after President Kabila’s assassination, the ALiR agreed to merge with the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), although it is still sometimes referred to as ALiR by sources after that time. A source reports that the government in Kinshasa halted support for the ALiR in 2002. |
| Purpose: | The ALiR,which is the successor group of the Hutu militias from Rwanda, continued to fight against the Tutsi government in Rwanda led by Kagame and their allies such as Uganda. They also fought against foreigners in the DRC to gain support from the local population. The Congolese government aligned with the militia during the Second Congo War in 1998 when the Congolese Rally for Democracy (supported by the Rwandan government) tried to overthrow President Kabila. (Wikipedia) |
| Organisation: | The militia’s leader was Paul Rwarakabije who was a former Rwandan military officer. |
| Weapons and Training: | Starting from 1998, the Congolese government provided training and arms to the PGM members as President Kabila used them to fight against insurgents who wanted to overthrow him. (Wikipedia) |
| Size: | The PGM has 12,000 to 22,000 members. |
| Reason for Membership: | Members joined the PGM because of their ethnic loyalty. As they believed in the “Hutu Power” ideology, their objective was to fight all Tutsis and their supporters (Wikipedia). |
| Treatment of Civilians: | The militia targeted foreigners and Tutsis with violent acts. Until 2002, the group was backed by the Congolese government. After 2002, the government stops supporting the militia and their violence against civilians. |
| Other Information: | Used to fight against Rwandan invaders |
| References: |
Wikipedia. “Army for the Liberation of Rwanda”. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Army_for_the_Liberation_of_Rwanda&oldid=1031930675 |