Tribes in Rwanda

Tribes in Rwanda: Rwanda is situated in the center of East Africa’s Great Lakes region, in the Great Rift Valley. Its neighbors are Burundi, Tanzania, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is geographically linked to East Africa. Rwanda, which is located in the southern hemisphere and is close to the Equator, experiences two distinct seasons: wet and dry. With 12.9 million inhabitants spread across 26,338 square kilometers of land, the nation is Africa’s most densely inhabited mainland. Rwanda, which is surrounded by mountains, has been referred to as the “land of a thousand hills.” Rwanda should be on every traveler’s African bucket list because of its breathtaking landscapes, interesting experiences, and kind locals.

The Hutu, Tutsi, and Twa are the three tribes that make up Rwanda. About 85% of the population are Hutus, 14% are Tutsis, and 1% are Twa. People used to identify themselves by their ethnic affiliations after the horrific Rwandan genocide, but now they use the general term Rwandan instead.

The Hutu, also known as the Bahutu or Wahutu, are a tribe that belong to the Bantu ethnic group and make up 85% of Rwanda. The Hutu arrived in Rwanda after the renowned Bantu journey from the Cameroon highlands, which is said to be their ancestral homeland, drove out the Twa, the area’s original inhabitants. They lived in communities ruled by kings known as the Bahinza and were farmers. The majority of their culture is incorporated, and they speak a language that differs from that of the Tutsi. The Hutu people are quite modest.

The other tribe in Rwanda is the Tutsi, also known as the Batutsi, Tussi, or Watutsi. Given their Nilotic ancestry, it is understandable that the Tutsi are naturally pastoralists. The Tutsi are herders and rarely dwell in one area, in contrast to the Hutu. Following the Hutu, they arrived in Rwanda in the fourteenth century. Some of the Hutu were displaced by their settlement in Rwanda, which led to tribal conflicts that eventually resulted in a genocide that further diminished their population.

The Batwa is another name for the Twa. Up until the Hutu arrived and drove away the majority, the Twa were Rwanda‘s original occupants. Today, they make up around 1% of the country’s total population. The two have historically lived as hunter-gatherers who moved around a lot and settled down sometimes. These days, the majority of these pygmies live in forested areas.

However, since the holocaust, you are not allowed to reveal someone’s tribe in public. Instead, they set aside their tribal divisions and accepted themselves as Rwandans. The genocide in Rwanda, which occurred recently, is one of the events that contribute to Rwandan history. The Genocide occurred between July 7 and July 15, 1994, during the Rwandan Civil War. Known as the “100 Days of Slaughter,” this tragedy claimed the lives of many individuals in a ruthless manner. A key part in the genocide against the Tutsi FPR was performed by the army and Hutu militia organizations, known as interahamwe, which means “those who attack together,” and impuzamugambi, which means “those who have the same goal.” Tutsis made up the majority of the more than a million Rwandans who perished during these 100 days of darkness. In Rwanda, discussing race is not only frowned upon but also punishable by imprisonment. According to the penal code, discussing ethnicity is a felony known as “divisionism” and is seen as extremely offensive and inflammatory.