What is the difference between a Hutu and Tutsi?
- Difference in physical features: The Tutsis were the fairer group. ...
- Education: German rulers favored the Tutsis more than the Hutus. ...
- Political: The scenario changed as the Hutus took control over the government. ...
- Constant war among the two groups was a very common feature. ...
What is the conflict between Tutsis and Hutus?
Hutus, who were in majority, resented the special status of Tutsis, and this resulted in sparks between the two tribes. The situation changed when Belgium took over the power of control of the area. Belgians recognized the supremacy of Hutus and allowed them to make the government.
What is the difference between Hutus and Tutsis?
• Social Status:
- Physical Differences:
- General Physique:
- Hutus are shorter and stronger. They also have relatively broader features.
- Tutsis are taller and thinner.
Which ethnic group is the most persecuted?
Rohingya Muslims: the most persecuted group in the world. he Rohingya are a Muslim ethnic minority group in Myanmar (Burma), Southeast Asia. They make up the largest percentage of Muslims in the country. The Rohingya are not considered a people of Myanmar and are denied citizenship in the country, effectively making them stateless.
Is Hutu an ethnic group?
In 1994, Rwanda's population of 7 million was composed of three ethnic groups: Hutu (approximately 85 percent), Tutsi (14 percent) and Twa (1 percent).
Are Hutus and Tutsis ethnically different?
Hutu and Tutsi inhabit Rwanda and Burundi in Central Africa. There are no significant linguistic or religious differences between them and they both live in mixed settlements, however, violent ethnic conflicts have erupted between these groups.
Is Tutsi A ethnicity?
Tutsi, also called Batusi, Tussi, Watusi, or Watutsi, ethnic group of probable Nilotic origin, whose members live within Rwanda and Burundi. The Tutsi formed the traditional aristocratic minority in both countries, constituting about 9 percent and 14 percent of the population, respectively.
What are the two ethnic groups in Rwanda?
As in Burundi, the major ethnic groups in Rwanda are Hutu and Tutsi, respectively accounting for more than four-fifths and about one-seventh of the total population.
What race is Rwanda?
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%. Starting with the Tutsi feudal monarchy rule of the 10th century, the Hutus were a subjugated social group.
Is it illegal to talk about ethnicity in Rwanda?
These days it is rude—and can even be deemed criminally “divisionist”—to use the labels Hutu and Tutsi in public. “We are all Rwandans now” is the strictly enforced official mantra. Yet virtually everyone is conscious of whether someone hails from a family of “victims” or “perpetrators”.
How do you know if you are a Hutu or Tutsi?
If you were close to the king, you owned wealth, you owned a lot of cattle, you are a Tutsi. If you are far away from the king, you are a cultivator, you don't own much cattle, you are a Hutu.” Colonial rule, which began in the late 19th Century, did little to bring the groups together.
How many ethnic groups are in Rwanda?
three ethnic groupsThe Rwandan population largely consists of three ethnic groups. The Hutus, who comprise the majority of the population (85%), are farmers of Bantu origin. The Tutsis (14% before the Genocide, probably less than 10% now) are a pastoral people who arrived in the area in the 15th century.
Where did Tutsi originally come from?
According to some historians and Tutsi scholars, the group originally came to Rwanda from Ethiopia in the 15th century. Although played down by the current government, the belief persists. To Tutsis, the genealogical lineage to Ethiopia connects them to a greater constellation including ancient Hebrews.
Why do the Hutu hate the Tutsi?
A colonial legacy of division The Belgians viewed the Tutsi minority as superior, and favoured Tutsi for leadership positions. This favoritism created ongoing and deeper tensions between Hutu and Tutsi. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, struggles for independence from Belgian rule gained strength in Rwanda.
What do we call a person from Rwanda?
Rwandan (plural Rwandans) A person from Rwanda or of Rwandan descent.
What was Rwanda originally called?
Ruanda-UrundiAt the urging of the UN, the Belgian government divided Ruanda-Urundi into two separate countries, Rwanda and Burundi.
What was the difference between the Hutu and Tutsi people?
"Hutus" were people who farmed crops, while "Tutsis" were people who tended livestock. Most Rwandans were Hutus. Gradually, these class divisions became seen as ethnic designations. Because cattle were more valuable than crops, the minority Tutsis became the local elite.
How do you tell a Hutu from an Tutsi?
If you were close to the king, you owned wealth, you owned a lot of cattle, you are a Tutsi. If you are far away from the king, you are a cultivator, you don't own much cattle, you are a Hutu.” Colonial rule, which began in the late 19th Century, did little to bring the groups together.
What did the Tutsis look like?
Tutsis are typically thought of as lighter skinned than those of Hutu decent. Many descriptions of Tutsis include that they have light brown skin like Ethiopians, Eritreans and other ethnic groups from farther north in Africa.
Why do the Hutu hate the Tutsi?
A colonial legacy of division The Belgians viewed the Tutsi minority as superior, and favoured Tutsi for leadership positions. This favoritism created ongoing and deeper tensions between Hutu and Tutsi. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, struggles for independence from Belgian rule gained strength in Rwanda.
Where are the Hutu people from?
Hutu, also called Bahutu or Wahutu, Bantu-speaking people of Rwandaand Burundi. Numbering about 9,500,000 in the late 20th century, the Hutu comprisethe vast majority in both countries but were traditionally subject to the Tutsi(q.v.), warrior-pastoralists of Nilotic stock.
Where did the Hutu family live?
Hutu family compound, Burundi. When the Hutu first entered the area, they found it inhabited by the Twa, Pygmy hunters whom they forced to retreat. Hutu life centred on small-scale agriculture, and social organization was based on the clan, with petty kings ( bahinza) ruling over limited domains.
What are the Hutu and Tutsi cultures?
The Hutu’s kinship and clan system is probably derived from Tutsi culture, as is the central importance of cattle. The Hutu and the Tutsi adhere essentially to the same religious beliefs , which include forms of animism and (today) Christianity.
What happened to the Hutu in 1994?
In 1994, one of the worst incidents of genocide in modern history took place in Rwanda, where Hutu extremists slaughtered nearly a million Tutsi and moderate Hutu. The Hutu and Tutsi cultures have been largely integrated.
How many Hutu were there in the 20th century?
Numbering about 9,500,000 in the late 20th century, the Hutu comprise the vast majority in both countries but were traditionally subject to the Tutsi ( q.v. ), warrior-pastoralists of Nilotic stock. Hutu family compound, Burundi.
What ethnic group is Burundi?
Burundi: Ethnic groups. in Rwanda, Tutsi and Hutu are the principal ethnic communities, with the Hutu constituting the overwhelming majority and the Tutsi a significant minority. Other groups include the Twa Pygmies and a sprinkling of Swahili-speaking peoples from Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
What language did the Tutsi speak?
The Tutsi adopted the mutually intelligible Bantu languages of Rwanda and Rundi, which were originally spoken by the Hutu. The Hutu’s kinship and clan system is probably derived from Tutsi culture, as is the central importance of cattle.
What happened to Burundian Hutu refugees?
Many Burundian hutu refugees living in South Kivu shared the fate of their Rwandan and Congolese companions. Many were killed when their camps were attacked or while fleeing to the west with Rwandans. Others drowned, when they attempted to cross Lake Tanganyika in search of safety.
What ethnic group is targeted in Rwanda?
Hutu ethnic group as the targeted group. At the time of the incidents, the Hutu population in Rwanda and in Zaire, including refugees from Rwanda and Burundi, constituted an ethnic group within the meaning of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide ( OHCHR, 2010, p. 280). Several of the massacres in Rwanda as well ...
What was the end of the Hutu civil war?
This civil war officially ended with the signing of the Arusha Accords, a power-sharing agreement, in August 1993. While Hutu leaders signed the agreement, its terms angered Hutu extremists, setting the stage for future violence. During this time, the extremists disseminated messages through the media telling their fellow Hutus that the Tutsis were planning a killing campaign against them. Radio RTLM, a private Hutu-owned radio station, relentlessly condemned Tutsis and their supporters, characterizing them as subhuman and calling them cockroaches. In this climate, beginning in 1993, Hutu political leaders began to import large numbers of machetes and distributed the weapons to the militias that supported them, the Interahamwe (“Those Who Attack Together”) and the Impuzamugambi (“Those Who Have the Same Goal”).
What ethnic group was Rwanda in 1994?
In 1994, Rwanda’s population of 7 million was composed of three ethnic groups: Hutu (approximately 85 percent), Tutsi (14 percent) and Twa (1 percent). From April–July 1994, between 500,000 and one million Tutsi and moderate Hutus were slaughtered when a Hutu extremist-led government launched a plan to murder the country’s entire Tutsi minority ...
How many Tutsis fled Rwanda?
A Hutu revolution in 1959, supported by the Belgians, forced as many as 300,000 Tutsis to flee Rwanda, decreasing their numbers inside the country even further. In 1962, when Belgium granted Rwanda independence, the country was governed by political parties associated with the Hutu majority. Under Hutu rule, the Tutsis faced discrimination and violence, and thousands more fled to neighboring Burundi. It is estimated that by the mid-1960s, half of the Tutsi population was living outside Rwanda.
What is Hutu power?
Hutu Power is a racist and ethnosupremacist ideology propounded by Hutu extremists in Rwanda. It led to the 1994 Rwandan genocide against the Tutsi. Hutu Power political parties and movements included the Akazu, the Coalition for the Defence of the Republic and its Impuzamugambi paramilitary militia, and the governing National Republican Movement for Democracy and Development and its Interahamwe paramilitary militia.
Where did the Tutsi come from?
European authors such as John Hanning Speke wrote of the Tutsi as being of Hamitic origin, having originated from modern-day Ethiopia and migrating southwards, and having brought "civilization" to the Negroid races of Sub-Saharan Africa. As a result, the colonial administration favored the Tutsi at the expense of Hutu and Twa. In addition, they imposed a system of identity cards and ethnic classification in censuses, which reinforced an artificial ethnic division and contributed to tensions between groups. In reality, the Tutsi, Hutu, and Twa possessed little cultural or genetic distinction.
What did the Hutus do after Habyarimana was assassinated?
Following Habyarimana's assassination, an act that at the time people speculated was done by Tutsi extremists, Hutu Power forces mobilized militia, most notably Interahamwe, and mobs to carry out the mass killings of the Rwandan genocide. The Presidential Guard of the army killed Prime Minister Uwilingiyimana and several other leading moderate government officials.
What were the Hutu Ten Commandments?
Hassan Ngeze in 1990 created the Hutu Ten Commandments, a document that served as the basis of Hutu Power ideology. The Commandments called for the supremacy of Hutus in Rwanda, calling for exclusive Hutu leadership over Rwanda's public institutions and public life, complete segregation of Hutus from Tutsis, and complete exclusion ...
What happened after the Hutu genocide?
The defeat of the government by the RPF ended the genocide, and the Hutu Power movement was defeated and suppressed. Many Hutu Power spokesmen were arrested after the genocide, charged and put on trial. Ngeze was convicted and sentenced to 35 years' imprisonment.
What was the society's conception of social status based on?
The society created conceptions of social status based on the groups' traditional pursuits: the Twa, working most directly with the earth (through pottery), were considered impure; the Hutu, still working with the ground but less so than the Twa, were in turn considered less pure than the above-ground Tutsi. When Germany, and later Belgium, colonized the kingdom, they interpreted the local division of races or ethnicity through the Hamitic hypothesis.
Who published the Hutu Ten Commandments?
Hassan Ngeze, an entrepreneur recruited by the government to combat the Tutsi publication Kanguka, created and edited Kangura, a radical Hutu Power newsletter. He published the " Hutu Ten Commandments ", which included the following: the Rwandan armed forces should be exclusively Hutu.
What is the origin of the Hutus?
The third possible explanation for the origin of Hutus and Tutsis lies in Hamitic theory . The Hamitic theory is the belief that descendants of Noah’s son, Ham, are superior to others. (Carney, 11) Specifically in Africa, the Hamitic race was supposedly superior to the other groups of people living there at the time. Tutsis were seen as being of Hamitic origin. “For European theorists in Rwanda, the Tutsi fit the role of Hamitic civilizer; the Hutu were classified as Bantu Africans. In turn, the Tutsi ‘Caucasians under a black skin’ were seen as superior to their Bantu Hutu neighbors.” (Carney, 11) This viewpoint is another possible explanation for the fundamental differences between Hutus and Tutsis.
Why are hutus shorter than tutsis?
They argue that Hutus were shorter and stockier than the Tutsis because they were not as wealthy and didn’t get the same amount of protein that their counterparts did. (Mamdani, 44) Tutsis, being richer, drank more milk and had more access to meat. Another argument points out the differing lifestyles of Hutus and Tutsis.
What was the main factor in determining the victims of the 1994 Rwanda genocide?
The classification and grouping of people in Rwanda was a major factor in determining the victims of the 1994 genocide. (Mamdani, 43) The Tutsi victims were specifically targeted by Hutu perpetrators because of their “race.” These two groups of people truly believed they were completely different from each other. Most scholars state three different theories about the origin of “Hutus” and “Tutsis”. The theories are based on phenotype, genotype, and the Hamitic theory. Each theory shows that one of the groups migrated to the region.
What would happen if a Tutsi woman married a Hutu man?
(Notice how this didn’t hold true in the genocide in 1994, where a Tutsi woman would be killed even if her husband was a Hutu.) In the case of children, a newborn took on the social class of his/her father.
What are the theories of Hutus and Tutsis?
Most scholars state three different theories about the origin of “Hutus” and “Tutsis”. The theories are based on phenotype, genotype, and the Hamitic theory. Each theory shows that one of the groups migrated to the region.
What are the three groups of people living in Rwanda?
The first theory, examining phenotype, has to do with physical features. The three groups of people living in Rwanda (Twa, Hutu, and Tutsi) each has a distinct physical appearance. (Mamdani, 44) The Twa people are pygmies (anyone under 150 cm). Since the Twa only made up a very small portion of the total population, ...
Did the Hutus and Tutsis own cattle?
Hutus had land that they farmed and Tutsis owned cattle. However, this was a political divide, not a racial divide. (Carney, 12) Politics influenced the social class of the two groups and their ability to own cattle. Hutus and Tutsis lived together in communities.
What was the difference between the Hutu and the Tutsi?
According to some sources, the Hutu people lived in the area originally, while the Tutsi migrated from the Nile region. When they arrived, the Tutsi were able to establish themselves as leaders in the area with little conflict. While the Tutsi people became "aristocracy," there was a good deal of intermarriage.
Why did the Hutu Tutsi have a strife?
Generally, the Hutu-Tutsi strife stems from class warfare, with the Tutsis perceived to have greater wealth and social status (as well as favoring cattle ranching over what is seen as the lower-class farming of the Hutus). These class differences started during the 19th century, were exacerbated by colonization, ...
How many Hutus were killed in the Rwanda genocide?
Updated February 13, 2020. The bloody history of the Hutu and Tutsi conflict stained the 20th century, from the 1972 slaughter of about 120,000 Hutus 1 by the Tutsi army in Burundi to the 1994 Rwanda genocide where, in just the 100 days in which Hutu militias targeted Tutsis, ...
Where did the Hutus flee?
After the genocide and the Tutsis' regaining control, about 1.3 million Hutus fled to Burundi, Tanzania 4 (from where more than 10,000 were later expelled by the government), Uganda, and the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where the great focus of Tutsi-Hutu conflict is today. 5 Tutsi rebels in the DRC accuse the government of providing cover for the Hutu militias.
When did the Hutus rebel against the Tutsis?
This decision led to the exploitation of the Hutu people at the hands of the Tutsis. Starting in 1957 , the Hutus began to rebel against their treatment, writing a Manifesto and staging violent actions against the Tutsi.
When did the Hutus rebel?
Starting in 1957, the Hutus began to rebel against their treatment, writing a Manifesto and staging violent actions against the Tutsi. In 1962, Belgium left the area and two new nations, Rwanda and Burundi, were formed.
Who was the Hutu president in Rwanda?
On April 6, 1994, the Hutu president of Rwanda, Juvénal Habyarimana, was assassinated when his plane was shot down near Kigali International Airport. The Hutu president of Burundi, Cyprien Ntaryamira, was also killed in the attack. This sparked the chillingly well-organized extermination of Tutsis by Hutu militias, even though blame for the plane attack has never been established. Sexual violence against Tutsi women was also widespread, and the United Nations only conceded that "acts of genocide" had occurred two months after the killing began. 3
What is the Hutu culture?
They are considered to be the original inhabitants of the area.The Hutu lifestyle was built around small-scale agriculture.
What is the difference between Hutu and Tutsi?
The difference between Hutu and Tutsi arises from their place of origin. For many of us, who have been watching the disturbing news about genocide in Rwanda and Burundi since the last decade of 20th century, the most worrying part is how and why would two ethnic groups become so hostile, so as to kill and try to annihilate each other? Yes, we are talking about Hutus and Tutsis, two ethnic groups living together for centuries in central Africa. Millions of people have lost their lives in this war of hatred and supremacy between Hutu and Tutsi in the last two decades. This article attempts to get to the genesis of this ethnic cleansing by differentiating between Hutu and Tutsi people.
How did the Tutsis and Hutus differ?
Tutsis have control over cattle, whereas Hutus control the lowly farming practices. If we look back at history, it seems that Hutus and Tutsis have coexisted peacefully for nearly 600 years in Central Africa. Tutsis arrived from Ethiopia and conquered Hutus and their homeland.
Where do Tutsis live?
More about Tutsi. Tutsis, also known as Batusi, Tussi, Watusi and Watutsi, live in countries like Rwanda and Burundi in Africa. Tutsis are the people who came later into the territory of the Hutus and got the power. They have been the minority, but always the powerful kind.
How did the Tutsis get recognition?
Tutsis, thus got recognition from colonial rulers and received patronage, which got them education and government jobs. Hutus, who were in majority, resented the special status of Tutsis, and this resulted in sparks between the two tribes. The situation changed when Belgium took over the power of control of the area.
Is Tutsis a minority?
They have been the minority, but always the powerful kind. In other words, unlike Hutus who were large in number, Tutsis were always the minority. Yet they were always the minority with power in both Rwanda and Burundi. When it comes to physical features, people have observed that Tutsis are taller and thinner.
Is Hutu a Tutsi?
Yes, we are talking about Hutus and Tutsis, two ethnic groups living together for centuries in central Africa. Millions of people have lost their lives in this war of hatred and supremacy between Hutu and Tutsi in the last two decades.
Overview
History
The Rwandan kingdom was traditionally ruled by a Tutsi mwami, or king; Historical evidence suggests that Hutu and Twa were included in government, although the Twa significantly less so than Hutu, who were more numerous. The Tutsi/Hutu divide has been referred to as a caste system. A Hutu could gain Tutsi status through marriage or through success. Tutsis, being primarily pastoralists, had a more valuable place in Rwandan society than the agriculturalist Hut…
Formation
The first elected president Grégoire Kayibanda, an ethnic Hutu, used ethnic tensions to preserve his own power. Hutu radicals, working with his group (and later against it), adopted the Hamitic hypothesis, portraying the Tutsi as outsiders, invaders, and oppressors of Rwanda. Some Hutu radicals called for the Tutsi to be "sent back to Abyssinia", a reference to their supposed homeland. This early concept of Hutu Power idealized a "pre-invasion" Rwanda: an ethnically pur…
Under Habyarimana
In 1973, general and defense minister Juvénal Habyarimana, an ethnic Hutu supported by more radical northern Rwandans, overthrew Kayibanda and had him and his wife killed. Many of his supporters were from his district in the north, descendants of Hutu kingdoms that had been semi-autonomous before the colonial period. The resulting administration proved better for Tutsis, as government-sponsored violence was more sporadic than under Kayibanda.
Spokespersons
Hutu Power acquired a variety of spokesmen. Hassan Ngeze, an entrepreneur recruited by the government to combat the Tutsi publication Kanguka, created and edited Kangura, a radical Hutu Power newsletter. He published the "Hutu Ten Commandments", which included the following:
• Hutu and Tutsi should not intermarry;
• the education system must be composed of a Hutu majority (reflecting the population); and
Opposition to miscegenation
The Commandments declared that any form of relationship between Hutus and Tutsi women was forbidden; and that any Hutu who "marries a Tutsi woman", "befriends a Tutsi woman", or "employs a Tutsi woman as a secretary or a concubine" was a traitor to the Hutu people. It denounced Tutsis as dishonest in business whose "only aim is the supremacy of his ethnic group"; and declared that any Hutu who did business with a Tutsi was a traitor to the Hutu people. The Com…
Mobilization for genocide
During the attempted negotiations (Arusha Accords) between the Rwandan government and the RPF, radical Hutus began alleging that Habyarimana was being manipulated by Tutsis and non-radical Hutus. They maligned then-Prime Minister Agathe Uwilingiyimana. Following Habyarimana's assassination, an act that at the time people speculated was done by Tutsi extremists, Hutu Power forces mobilized militia, most notably Interahamwe, and mobs to carry o…
Aftermath
The defeat of the government by the RPF ended the genocide, and the Hutu Power movement was defeated and suppressed. Many Hutu Power spokesmen were arrested after the genocide, charged and put on trial. Ngeze was convicted and sentenced to 35 years' imprisonment. In 2005, Mugesera was deported from Canada to Rwanda to stand trial for his role in the killings.