Hutu and Tutsi: The history behind the divide
- For more than a century, Hutu and Tutsi in Africa’s Great Lakes region have been described as two distinct ethnic groups, and sometimes even as separate races.
- The identities existed before European colonial rule, but they did not always carry the rigid meaning they acquired later.
- Colonial rule, particularly in Rwanda and Burundi, changed how they were classified and understood, helping turn social distinctions into fixed ethnic categories.
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- For more than a century, Hutu and Tutsi in Africa’s Great Lakes region have been described as two distinct ethnic groups, and sometimes even as separate races.
- The identities existed before European colonial rule, but they did not always carry the rigid meaning they acquired later.
- Colonial rule, particularly in Rwanda and Burundi, changed how they were classified and understood, helping turn social distinctions into fixed ethnic categories.
Sources: Al Jazeera