WorldHutu and Tutsi: The history behind the divide

Hutu and Tutsi identities in Africa’s Great Lakes region were more fluid before colonial rule. Colonial classification, especially in Rwanda and Burundi, hardened social distinctions into ethnic categories that were later drawn into struggles over power, land and belonging, with effects still felt in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. The divide became central to Rwanda’s crisis and culminated in the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi.

Hutu and TutsiRwandaBurundicolonial legacy

AAl Jazeera★★★☆☆2026-09-09 14:22Original