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The first known inhabitants of Rwanda were the Twa Pygmies, a people thought to be descended from Stone Age African hunter-gatherers. From about AD 100 onwards, the Twa were gradually displaced by the Hutu, a tribal group that probably migrated to the area from the Congo Basin. The Hutu were well established by the 15th century, when they were conquered by the Tutsi, whose mwamis (kings) established a feudal caste system that forced the Hutus into slavery.
German explorers arrived in the 1880s, and from 1890 until 1916 Rwanda (then called Ruanda) and Burundi (then called Urundi) were incorporated into German East Africa. After World War I the area was mandated to Belgium by the League of Nations and became known as the Territory of Ruanda-Urundi. The Belgians continued ruling through the Tutsi chiefs, whose power over the Hutu minority increased until 1959, when Tutsi forces violently beat Hutu political leader Dominique Mbonyumutwa. This led to a massive Hutu uprising, with the ensuing violence killing some 100,000 Tutsis. Belgium finally granted Rwanda independence in 1962.
The Hutu majority came to power after independence, resulting in resentment by the Tutsis, who formed guerrilla groups (collectively known as the Rwandan Patriotic Front, or RPF) that mounted raids on Hutu communities through the years. This led to reprisals and counter-reprisals, increasing tensions between both groups. Finally, in April of 1994, after a plane crash at Kigali airport killed the presidents of both Rwanda and Burundi, a full-fledged civil war broke out, leading to the murder of roughly 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus on the orders of the interim Hutu government. Tutsi rebels defeated the Hutu regime in July, but some two million Hutus, fearing retribution, subsequently fled to refugee camps in neighboring countries. A period of reconciliation and justice began in late 1994, with the establishment of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) and the reintroduction of Gacaca, a traditional village court system.
Having endured one of worst genocides in recorded history, Rwanda’s recovery has been nothing short of remarkable. Since 1994, this small nation has made extraordinary economic progress, with the second fastest growth rate in Africa. And in one more sign of progress, Rwanda’s parliament includes the highest number of female members in the world.