Full Description:
The youth militia attached to the ruling political party. The name translates roughly to “those who work together” or “those who attack together.” They served as the primary foot soldiers of the genocide, manning roadblocks and carrying out house-to-house killings. The Interahamwe began as a youth political wing but was systematically transformed into a paramilitary death squad. Unemployed young men were recruited, indoctrinated, and trained in the use of machetes and firearms by the presidential guard. They were the visible agents of the state’s violence, wearing distinctive uniforms and carrying out orders with military precision.

Critical Perspective:
The existence of the Interahamwe highlights the “privatizationPrivatization Full Description:The transfer of ownership, property, or business from the government to the private sector. It involves selling off public assets—such as water, rail, energy, and housing—turning shared public goods into commodities for profit. Privatization is based on the neoliberal assumption that the private sector is inherently more efficient than the public sector. Governments sell off state-owned enterprises to private investors, often at discounted rates, arguing that the profit motive will drive better service and lower costs. Critical Perspective:Critics view privatization as the “enclosure of the commons.” It frequently leads to higher prices for essential services, as private companies prioritize shareholder returns over public access. It also hollows out the state, stripping it of its capacity to act and leaving citizens at the mercy of private monopolies for their basic needs (like water or electricity).
Read more of violence.” By using a militia rather than just the regular army, the state could mobilize a wider section of society and create a veneer of “popular uprising.” It exploited the economic desperation of the youth, offering them status, loot, and authority in exchange for their participation in the slaughter.