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In the Rwanda territory, from the 15th century until 1961, the Tutsi were ruled by a king (the mwami). Belgium abolished the monarchy, following the national referendum that led to independence. By contrast, in the northwestern part of the country (predominantly Hutu), large regional landholders shared power, similar to Buganda society (in what ...
The origins of the Hutu, Tutsi and Twa peoples is a major issue of controversy in the histories of Rwanda and Burundi, as well as the Great Lakes region of Africa.The relationship among the three modern populations is thus, in many ways, derived from the perceived origins and claim to "Rwandan-ness".
The largest ethnic groups in Rwanda are the Hutus, which make up about 85% of Rwanda's population; the Tutsis, which are 14%; and the Twa, which are around 1%. [1] Starting with the Tutsi feudal monarchy rule of the 10th century, the Hutus were a subjugated social group.
Although Tutsi women were the main targets, moderate Hutu women were also raped. [209] Along with the Hutu moderates, Hutu women who were married to or who hid Tutsis were also targeted. [3] In his 1996 report on Rwanda, the UN Special Rapporteur Rene Degni-Segui stated, "Rape was the rule and its absence was the exception."
The Tutsi diaspora miscalculated the reaction of its invasion of Rwanda. Though the Tutsi objective seemed to be to pressure the Rwandan government into making concessions, the invasion was seen as an attempt to bring the Tutsi ethnic group back into power. The effect was to increase ethnic tensions to a level higher than they had ever been.
The Kingdom of Rwanda (also known as the Nyiginya Kingdom or Nyginya Dynasty [1]) was a Bantu kingdom in modern-day Rwanda, which grew to be ruled by a Tutsi monarchy. [2] It was one of the oldest and the most centralized kingdoms in Central and East Africa . [ 3 ]
For several hundred years, the Twa have been a small minority in the area, currently 1% in Rwanda and Burundi, and have had little political role, though there were at times Twa in the government of the Tutsi king, and some even obtained a privileged position in the royal court as entertainers, or even executioners. [5]
A Tutsi rebel group, the Rwandan Patriotic Front, invaded Rwanda from Uganda, which started a civil war against Rwanda's Hutu government in 1990. A peace agreement was signed, but violence erupted again, culminating in the Rwandan genocide of 1994, when Hutu extremists killed [ 25 ] an estimated 800,000 Rwandans, mostly Tutsis.