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Article: Hutu and Tutsi. (Rwanda)
- Article from:
- The Christian Century
- Article date:
- June 15, 1994
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1994 The Christian Century Foundation. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Hutu and Tutsi speak the same language, and both trace their origins to t common group known as the Badyarwanda. Before the arrival of European colonists a century ago, the Hutu, who tended the land as farmers, and the Tutsi, who roamed the region as cattle herders, lived in relative harmony. A caste system developed in which the minority Tutsi, who developed an army of their own, became dominant. The uneasy peace that existed between the two groups changed with the arrival of German colonists in the late 19th century, and then Belgians after World War I.
European colonialists favored the Tutsi, both because they had lighter skin than the Hutu and because they ...