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Glite Dictionary
Former Armed Forces

Former Armed Forces

9.9
A Rwandan rebel group that fought to overthrow the Tutsi government and restore Hutu rule
  • proper noun
  • NSFW
translation icon : Fuerzas Armadas Exteriores
  • Many refugees feared reprisals from the Former Armed Forces if they returned to Rwanda.

Examples

  • The Former Armed Forces were implicated in several attacks in the border regions during the late 1990s.

  • Many members of the Former Armed Forces fled to neighboring countries.

  • International reports identified Former Armed Forces fighters as responsible for the violence in Congo.

  • The Former Armed Forces were involved in the Rwandan Civil War.

  • International reports identified Former Armed Forces fighters as responsible for the violence in Congo.

  • The Former Armed Forces were implicated in several attacks in the border regions during the late 1990s.

  • Many refugees feared reprisals from the Former Armed Forces if they returned to Rwanda.

Synonyms

Army for the Liberation of Rwanda
vsFormer Armed Forces
  • Offensive
9.9

A group of armed fighters who use violence to try to take control of Rwanda

focuses on political aims and an alternate name rather than violent action

Surface Forms

Former Armed Forces main
ALIR main

Morphology

former + armed + force

The meaning is transparently composed from 'former' (previous), 'armed' (carrying weapons) and 'forces' (military group), so a B1 learner who knows the constituents will understand it denotes a previously existing military group. They might not infer the specific historical or political referent (ALIR, Rwandan context) from the words alone, but the basic sense is directly derivable.

Etymology

Former Armed Forces is a name that points to the group's history: former means 'used to be' and armed forces means soldiers with weapons. These were once the country's army who became rebels, so the name shows they are 'ex-soldiers' trying to 'return to power'.