Role of Paramilitaries in Genocide

Paramilitaries have been essential in the ability to carry out genocide in the twentieth century and this tradition has continued into the twenty first century. The S.S. and S.A. in the Holocaust, the Interhamwe in Rwanda, and the Janjaweed in Darfur are a few examples. It could be argued that paramilitaries are essential to carrying out genocide. Paramilitaries are involved in many conflicts and are essentially a group of civilians that are militarily organized and are often used as an extension, or in place of, regular military troops (paramilitary). There are several reasons that paramilitaries are such effective and practical tools to carry out the dirty work of genocide.

The first reason is that because genocides occur during times of war the regular military is busy trying to win the war. The paramilitaries of the Serbia-Bosnia conflict were usually little more than gangs of thugs and criminals who enjoyed violence and the looting along with the killing. In Rwanda in 1994 and the current Darfur crisis, both governments were at war with rebels over who should and has the power to control the government. In Rwanda the Interhamwe often manned the roadblocks and formed the gangs that went house to house looking for Tutsis to slaughter while the Hutu military battled the advancing RPF.

Another reason that paramilitaries are ideal in carrying out genocide is that international accountability has greatly increased within the last century. Military leaders are held accountable for the orders they give and the actions that their troops commit. By using paramilitaries and militia, government and military leaders can claim to not have been involved in committing genocide. An excellent example of this is the ongoing genocide against Africans that is being carried out by Arabs in Darfur. While the Sudan government gives these Arab groups financial support, the groups are not officially part of the state. Therefore, the government can claim that they themselves are uninvolved and unaccountable. While the international court system is far from perfect, countries and individuals have been tried and convicted for genocide. Adolf Eichmann’s televised trial for helping orchestrate the Holocaust is an iconic example.

Currently there are trials going on for paramilitary leaders in the Serbia-Bosnia conflict as well as the many genocidaires being held in prisons awaiting trial in Rwanda. The use and abuse of paramilitaries across the world is an issue that needs to be addressed. Wars and conflicts are evolving past the conventional two-sided battles with either side wearing brightly colored uniforms. Low-intensity conflicts and the use of unconventional organizations and tools is increasing. The idea of paramilitaries and militia lies close to the American identity of freedom but we need to be aware that such groups are capable, and have been used, to carry out massive atrocities.

"paramilitary." WordNet® 3.0. Princeton University. 06 Dec. 2008. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/paramilitary>.