Independence
Burundi was originally colonized by Germany and eventually the power was taken by Belgium. Throughout their rule of the combined countries of Rwanda and Burundi (Ruanda-Urundi), they ruled the country primarily through the Tutsis, which caused a huge ethnic divide. The country was unstable during this period of time because the majority of Hutu were very against the governmental system and felt as though they were not being treated fairly. Eventually, the country gained independence in 1961, and despite the UN’s wish to stay as one country, they split into separate Rwanda and Burundi.
In January of 1959, Burundi’s leader, Mwami Mwambutsa fought for independence of Burundi from Belgium. Burundian politicians constantly advocated to be freed from Belgian rule and to be separated from Rwanda to be it’s own country again. After about two years, what was Ruanda-Urundi at the time was liberated from Belgium, and the year after on July 1st 1962 the two countries separated into Rwanda and Burundi.
Since independence, the literacy rate has surprisingly gone up to a shocking average of 86.9% according to Unicef. The youth literacy for males ages 15-24 is 89.6% and female, 88.1%. This is an interesting development because during colonization the citizens were deprived of education because King Leopold did not care about this aspect of the country. The literacy of the people of Burundi improved. However, the question needs to be asked as to why aren't the Burundians able to improve other parts of their government and society.
In January of 1959, Burundi’s leader, Mwami Mwambutsa fought for independence of Burundi from Belgium. Burundian politicians constantly advocated to be freed from Belgian rule and to be separated from Rwanda to be it’s own country again. After about two years, what was Ruanda-Urundi at the time was liberated from Belgium, and the year after on July 1st 1962 the two countries separated into Rwanda and Burundi.
Since independence, the literacy rate has surprisingly gone up to a shocking average of 86.9% according to Unicef. The youth literacy for males ages 15-24 is 89.6% and female, 88.1%. This is an interesting development because during colonization the citizens were deprived of education because King Leopold did not care about this aspect of the country. The literacy of the people of Burundi improved. However, the question needs to be asked as to why aren't the Burundians able to improve other parts of their government and society.
Civil War
There was a civil war that lasted 12 years that began in 1993 and ended in 2005. This was a situation between the Hutu and Tutsi, and stemmed from the original problems caused by Belgium when it gained control of Ruanda-Urundi in 1916. The Tutsi had always been considered superior, despite the fact that they were a minority in population compared to the Hutu. When Belgium came into power, the situation escalated because the Tutsi were favored. The Tutsi forced Hutu into labor, and while the Tutsi were rich and had many cattle, the Hutu were on the completely opposite side. This caused the Hutu to develop extreme animosity against the Tutsi, which continued after the countries split and Burundi gained independence in 1962.
Since 1972, the Hutu planned attacks and tried to kill the Tutsi, but the situation did not fully escalate until 1993 when Melchior Ndadaye, a Hutu leader became Hutu head of state and lead a pro Hutu government. He was assassinated by the Tutsi, which lead to even more violence. There were mass killings and another Hutu leader, Cyprien Ntaryamira, was killed in 1994 escalating the violence once again. The civil war was detrimental to the future of the country because during this time they were unable to make bonds within the global community. This set them back and while other countries were able to prosper and grow, they were stuck with the internal conflicts.
The mass killings, fighting, and attacks did not end until 2005, when a Peace Deal was agreed on and former Hutu leader Pierre Nkurunziza became the official president of the country. Many argue that the events that occurred are so similar to the situation in Rwanda that it could be considered a genocide. Over 300,000 people were killed and almost one million were displaced during this time.
Since 1972, the Hutu planned attacks and tried to kill the Tutsi, but the situation did not fully escalate until 1993 when Melchior Ndadaye, a Hutu leader became Hutu head of state and lead a pro Hutu government. He was assassinated by the Tutsi, which lead to even more violence. There were mass killings and another Hutu leader, Cyprien Ntaryamira, was killed in 1994 escalating the violence once again. The civil war was detrimental to the future of the country because during this time they were unable to make bonds within the global community. This set them back and while other countries were able to prosper and grow, they were stuck with the internal conflicts.
The mass killings, fighting, and attacks did not end until 2005, when a Peace Deal was agreed on and former Hutu leader Pierre Nkurunziza became the official president of the country. Many argue that the events that occurred are so similar to the situation in Rwanda that it could be considered a genocide. Over 300,000 people were killed and almost one million were displaced during this time.