Native Burundians belong to one of the three major ethnic groups in Burundi: the
Hutu,
Tutsi, and
Twa peoples. The
historical origins of ethnic differentiation between Hutu and Tutsi are disputed, however members of both groups consider themselves distinct. The Twa make up around 1 percent of Burundi's population. The Twa have historically been economically and politically marginalized by the other two ethnic groups. The inter-group dynamic in pre-colonial Burundi was not one rooted in deep antagonisms. Divisions did exist, however, as the groups were solidified and distinct especially via labor. While socio-economic roles played a major role in distinguishing one group from the other, the role of biological features is less known. There did seem to be notable divisions between what were referred to as generally light-skinned, tall Tutsis and dark-skinned shorter Hutus, but the role and magnitude of such characteristics is unclear.
Consolidation under monarchy Given their wealth and warfare abilities, the shortage of land availability and conflict over it led to the Tutsi domination of Burundi in the 16th century through the establishment of a hierarchical
monarchy ruled by divine kings or
mwami, the first of which was
Ntare I. usually those belonging to the princely class, and those who were deemed as “low”, or
Tutsi-Hima, who were often subordinate to wealthier Hutus.
Colonial era German rule After the
Berlin Conference in 1884-5, Burundi came under
German colonial sphere and then in 1890, it formally became a part of
German East Africa. Given an inter-dynastic struggle between the two groups of the Bezi and the Batare,
Germany was able to exploit the monarchical conflict and access power by siding with the Bezi in promise of a formal recognition of German rule in Burundi. Once in charge, Germany resorted to
indirect rule given limitations of ability to rule directly and via settlement, and reached its objectives through the hierarchies in place. Out of fear of potential growth in the power of the monarch, German colonial rule empowered many of the chiefs in place which further enhanced the status of many Tutsi elites that had existed before. The amalgamation of such beliefs yielded to an anthropological hypothesis called the
Hamitic hypothesis or “Hamitic myth”. The hypothesis argues that Tutsis were connected to the biblical Ham, and thus closer to the Christian world of Europeans themselves. This implied a genetic connection with East African peoples, although later scientific inquiries have refuted such claims. Additionally, a money-based economy was introduced to Burundi that served to change the previous nature of cattle as wealth, enabling a socio-economic mobility The extreme solidification of ideas of ethnic division under European rule have been described by some scholars as being a ‘
racialization’ of what used to be a more socioeconomic, fluid idea of ethnicity. Burundi's post-colonial ethnic tensions have especially been compared to those in
Rwanda, which saw similar ethnic tension between Hutu and Tutsi flare up into violence on several occasions, notably during the
Rwandan genocide.
Peace Talks-Present After years of violence and increasing deaths, peace talks began to take form starting in 1995. With international easing of sanctions against the
Buyoya regime came greater engagement and push to unify ethnic divisions in Burundi. Rivaling Hutu and Tutsi factions began to partake in the talks that were first moderated by
Julius Nyerere and then
Nelson Mandela in 1999. During this time, fighting between various parties and factions did not stop however, and displacement and death toll kept rising. In 2000, the
Arusha Agreement was reached, and the talks formally ended in 2001. After the presidency of Hutu
Ndayizeye, more rebel groups signed peace accords and finally in 2005, after Hutu
Pierre Nkurunziza took power, the final of the remaining Hutu rebel groups signed a peace agreement with the government, creating hope for national unity. Ceasefire agreements have continued on until 2008. 2005 also saw the introduction of a new power-sharing constitution. Three seats in each house of the Burundian government are allocated to the Twa. Various international organizations such as
Amnesty International have been challenged by the government with accusations of not following ethnic quota guidelines, yet some have described this as simply a way of eliminating challenges to the increasing governmental powers. Combined with the expulsion or end of negotiation with many transnational organizations (e.g.
U.N. Human Rights office), constitutional amendments such as ending the ethnic quota system implemented by the
Arusha Agreement have caused much fear and controversy. The military itself has seen reemergence of some ethnic-related conflicts that have suggested that cohesion within the military has not been fully achieved after all. Additionally, the groups still view each other as different and this sometimes leads to skepticism and historical memory. == Theoretical approaches to ethnicity ==