Rwanda History, Language and Culture

To set Rwanda's more recent history in context, you need to go as far back as the late 13th century when pastoral Tutsi tribes arrived from the south and conquered the Hutu and Twa inhabitants of Rwanda, establishing a feudal kingdom.

A unified state was established by King Kigeri Rwabuguri during the 19th century, but this lasted only until 1890 when Rwanda was annexed as a province of German East Africa. When the Belgians came in 1916 (after what turned out to be a brief occupation by Germany), they embarked on an aggressive campaign to divide the population into three different groups.

In an act that helped sow the seeds of genocide, the Belgians sponsored the dominance of the Tutsi minority at the expense of the Hutu, but were forced, in the 1960s, to concede independence under majority Hutu rule. Violence between Hutus and Tutsis started to flare up, culminating in the Rwandan Genocide of 1994: a 100-day period of carnage during which some 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus were murdered, while the international community looked on.

Today, peace prevails in Rwanda. While the genocide cannot be forgotten (obvious by the number of memorials scattered around the country), there have been efforts to heal divides, with talk of ethnicity outlawed. This period of calm has helped Rwanda grow into one of Africa's most progressive nations. Throughout the 21st century, there has been a higher percentage of women in parliament in Rwanda than any other county on Earth, and the country has implemented a number of pioneering conservation initiatives, including the banning of plastic bags in 2008.

In the last decade tourist numbers have drastically risen, bolstering Rwanda's growing economy further. At the same time, the government has embarked on a campaign to improve infrastructure: roads have been resurfaced, an ambitious large-scale railway project is in the works, and a 10,000-seat Kigali Arena was inaugurated in 2019 – developments that, it is hoped, will help in the forging of a new, positive identity for modern Rwanda.

Did you know?
• Once a month Rwandans participate in Umuganda – a day of national housekeeping where everyone, including the president, undertakes community service.
• Rwanda was one of the first countries in the world to ban plastic bags.
• Lions were successfully reintroduced to the country in 2015 after an absence of 15 years.