This year, the Rwanda Patriotic Front (RPF) celebrated its 30th birthday in a magnificent conference hall at its headquarters in Gasabo, 15km outside of Kigali. The party headquarter complex looks like a five star hotel resort; not a usual feat for political parties anywhere in the world. What defines this discipline that has made this party successful in politics, military, and business? RPF is very unique.
First, all of Africa’s rebel groups survive politically because they largely conduct their military operations from territories where the local population – largely for ethnic reasons – identify with them. Popular support is critical because civilians provide recruits, intelligence, food and morale to the rebels. In Ethiopia, Eritrea, Uganda, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Mozambique, Angola, Somalia, Ivory Coast, this factor held. Because of Rwanda’s ethnic configuration, the RPF fought in areas where it had little or no popular support.
Secondly, many African rebels survive because of the patronage of a foreign power like the Americans did in Mozambique and Angola during the Cold War. RPF was financed by poor Uganda with President Yoweri Museveni providing minimum support and insisting it develops internal organisational capabilities for self-sustenance.
Thirdly, regime collapse to rebels in Somalia, Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Ethiopia took place only after foreign support government had dried out. RPF’s military victory was secured when French military assistance to the government of President Juvenal Habyarimana was at its peak. The French supplied weapons, trained the Rwandan army, and in some cases directly provided command or instruction to government troops on the frontline.
Fourth, other rebel movements fight in areas, which have rich minerals like diamonds and gold. Rebels rush to take control of such resources to finance their military operations. This was the case with Angola, DR Congo, Sierra Leone and Liberia. The RPF fought in a resource scarce environment without rich minerals from which it could expect to generate revenues to finance the war.