Borders, Politics and Change

The earliest written records of Rwanda tell about a man named Rwabugiri. He came to the Rwandan throne in 1860. This is the first written account of the presence and division of the Hutu and Tutsi people. The Tutsi were the aristocracy and the Hutu were subservient to the Tutsi. In 1894, Count von Gotzen, who was the first German to visit Rwanda, visits the court of Rwabugiri, and one year later Rwabugiri dies. ¹

This was a very important time in Rwandan history because shortly following this time the Germans took over Rwanda (and Burundi, to the south). The Germans named the entire colony Ruanda-Urundi. Ruana-Urundi was one of the only African countries that had an established kingdom in place before the Europeans colonized Africa. Tucked away in the heart of the continent, Rwandans believed their kingdom was the centre of the world and for many centuries, foreigners were not allowed.² So because Rwanda already had a monarchy and ruling system in place when it was colonized, the Germans didn’t have to implement such a structure (or any other form of government, for that matter).  Soon after German rule, Belgium received Rwanda as its own colony.

Essentially, for the first half of the 1900’s the Tutsi were the favored people group, socially and politically. But in the 1960’s Hutu political parties formed and led a movement that ended the monarchy.² In 1962 Rwanda gained its independence from Belgium with Gregoire Kayibanda (leader of the PARMEHUTU party) as president.³ During this time the boundary lines of Rwanda stayed generally the same. Now, there were two nationally defined political parties. And with the strong political lines drawn between the Hutu and Tutsi, division only increased.

Kayibanda was overthrown in 1973 by a coup led by Major General Juvenal Habyarimana. Habyarimana launched a single political party in 1975 and was reelected in 1983 and 1988.³ Then came the civil war in 1990, which only magnified until 1994, the year that President Habyarimana was killed. 1/8^th of the population of Rwanda died during this civil war.

Currently Paul Kagame is the President of Rwanda, and in many ways, he is one of the most successful leaders in modern African history. ⁴ Kagame led a militia that ended the genocide. He instituted a just court system and punished people fairly. Education in Rwanda is better than it has ever been, as well as business. And violence and corruption have been very small, compared to the last 30 years. He is respected and revered by most Rwandans and people worldwide who know of the peace he helped bring to this region.

11.       “History of Rwanda: Ruanda-Urundi: 1887-1914,” History World,  accessed 8/15/15, http://www.historyworld.net/wrldhis/PlainTextHistories.asp?historyid=ad24

22.      “History & Politics: Rwanda’s early settlers,” Our Africa, accessed 8/15/15,  http://www.our-africa.org/rwanda/history-politics

33.       “Rwanda—History,” East Africa Living Encyclopedia, African Studies Center. Accessed 8/15/15, http://www.africa.upenn.edu/NEH/rwhistory.htm

44.       “A successful man with no successor,” Rwanda’s political future: King Paul, (March 28, 2015) accessed 8/15/15, http://www.economist.com/news/middle-east-and-africa/21647365-successful-man-no-successor-king-paul?zid=309&ah=80dcf288b8561b012f603b9fd9577f0e