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= Ethnic groups in Burundi[edit] = From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia The indigenous population of Burundi today is divided into three major ethnic groups: Hutu, Tutsi, and Twa. Its ethnic make-up is similar to that of  neighboring Rwanda. Other, smaller groups include refugees from nearby regions that have come to Burundi due to unrest in their own countries. Besides refugees and Native Burundians, immigration from elsewhere in Africa, Europe, and Asia have contributed to ethnic diversity in Burundi. Tensions between ethnic groups exist and have become violent on several occasions since independence. There have been efforts to mitigate these tensions that have often been noted by the international community. The root causes of these ethnic tensions, however, have been attributed to other factors such as politics, economics, and colonization which have had effects of instrumentalization of ethnicity.

Pre-colonial era[edit]
The role of ethnicity and culture are quite complex when observing pre-colonial regions of Burundi. There is no academic consensus on how exactly the ethnic divisions emerged and continued beyond the era, but the period is observed in order to understand the roots of ideas of ethnc divisions in the region. There are two major views on the emergence of ideas of ethnicities, one suggesting a more innate explanation while the other refers to a more constructivist view.

Constructivist argument[edit]
The more constructivist approach or perspective argues that while there did exist ethnic divisions, what is crucial in understanding ethnicity in Burundi is their evolving nature depending on many factors. Such factors included occupation and class, and other factors potentially related to socioeconomic factors. This suggests that ethnicity was not seen as primordial and was rather  a constructed identity that was subject to change over time. Scholars of this perspective argue that there are no clear essentialist divisions especially when observing groups such as Hutus and the Tutsis. The socioeconomic argument suggests that these categorizations simply were based on economic gains and status and one could, for example, become a Tutsi via acquiring a herd of cattle, while would be seen as a Hutu due to their status as a farmer. The Twa group was often seen as an artisanal group or hunters. All these suggest that ethnicity was divided along lines of constructed class that could be fluid. Another argument scholars use is how the two groups have also often mixed and in instances where children had parents of the two ethnic categories, they would adopt the ethnic classification of their father, refuting ideas of any “pure” and homogenous race or ethnicity.Thus such arguments put a heavy emphasis on the economic and social realities and mobilities of the group during the pre-colonial era that would later solidify the groups of ethnicity.

While even the constructivist approach can be generalizational, some scholars note how in Burundi, despite the consolidation of three major categories of ethnicity through state agency, there existed varying levels of divisions within the categories themselves. This means that the formation of ethnicity through certain lifestyles, status and economic standing could lead to ideas of cultural and ethnic consolidation, yet, in reality this consolidation may not have necessarily been as strongly in place as some suggest. For example, ritualists within the Hutu ethnic group were often divided and seen as separate from the rest of the Hutus. Tutsis also had groups like the Hima that were viewed as culturally distinct from the broader Tutsi group but still identified as ethnically Tutsi. This shows a level of nuance regarding ideas of ethnicity in Burundi and how such ethnicities could even be further divided within themselves.

Essentialist argument[edit]
The essentialist argument supported the idea that there were some sort of innate divisions between ethnic groups in Burundi since the beginning. Often scholars may refer to physical features or  traits and some may even go as far as racializing the ethnic differences. Some scholars have argued that Tutsis tend to have more Eurocentric physical features whie Hutus have more Afrocentric features, which would later become a justification for racism by colonizing powers. Others have argued a geographical approach of difference in origin and have described the Tutsis as immigrating into the region of modern-day Burundi from more northern regions of Africa, while Hutus being there earlier from central Africa. Scholars describe that the Twa group has been in the region the longest. These spatial divisions would still suggest a type of innate quality that the groups carried from their own initial regions. Such a view suggests a more primordial view of ethnicity that naturally have created the ehtnic divisions in the region and have progressed and solidified since pre-colonial times.

Ethnicity during political consolidation[edit]
Before the presence of German and Belgian colonial rule, the consolidation of the territory under more unified political system, a kingdom, not only solidified ideas of ethnicity in Burundi but also formalized hierarchies where Tutsis tended to be more wealthy due to their economic status, while Hutus and Twa were less well off. It is often believed that the kingdom started consolidating before the 17th century and given the division of wealth that favored more pastoral Tutsis, this group seemed to have dominance and was more concentrated in the upper echelons of the ruling hierarchy. The Hutus were more of the dominated group, yet many instances of ruling Hutus exist. At the top of the system was the king and a class of princes, under which was the wealthier Tutsi ethnic group. The Tutsis themselves had divisions within with some being clearly wealthier than other groups, showing just how much internal divisions prevailed. The Hutus and especially Twas were seen to be at lower ranks of the hierarchy, however it has been noted that mobility did exist and many notables from the latter two groups existed.

Colonial era[edit]
In 1890, Burundi was incorporated under German colonial rule, becoming a part of German East Africa and was later taken over by Belgium after German losses during and after the First World War. Both regimes were conducted via indirect rule meaning that local authority was maintained but the overall system exploited the region in favor of the colonial power such as Belgium. This system of governance led to greater exploitation of lower classes and given the impositions by European powers, views of ethnicity as essentialist traits were solidified and ethnicity in general became more structured and incorporated into the hierarchy. Many argue that economic stratification was turned into dividing innately ethnic identities by Europeans. This meant that Tutsis were often favored while Hutus and Twa were seen as lower and exploited more. To many Hutus, this system created an association between colonizers and Tutsis and vilified the view of the Tutsi ethnicity in general.

Post-colonial/ Independence era[edit]
After embedding further tensions and divisions between the ethnic groups in Burundi, the independence in 1962 followed much political contestation which occurred along ethnic lines. In Burundi while the loyalist government was able to survive, what soon followed was massive contestation between Tutsi and Hutu groups for political power. This contestation intensified and ethnicity increasingly started to play a role in the contestations.

Ethnic tensions and violence[edit]
Many scholars have referred to the socioeconomic divides between the Hutu and Tutsi populations as instigating factors to ethnic tensions between the two groups. A major factor creating this division has been the colonial legacy in Burundi of both Germans and then Belgians. Since Burundi became independent from Belgian colonial rule in 1962, it has seen extensive violence between members of the Hutu and Tutsi ethnic groups. Ethnic violence peaked in 1972 when 100,000 people, mainly Hutu, were killed by the Tutsi regime in the Burundian Genocide. Twa have also been targeted, specifically in violence directed against the Tutsi with whom they are sometimes associated. Ethnic violence has often been attributed to the agitation of political factions attempting to consolidate their power, as well as to competition for resources. Burundi's ethnic tensions have 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.

Democracy in 1990-present[edit]
In the 1990s, partly due to international pressures, Burundi went through a process of democratization. This process incorporated the de-emphasis of ethnicity and banned ethnically-based political parties. Due to unpopularity, riots against the government grew leading to further violence. Many Hutu rebels began to protest and kill Tutsi elites that still dominated positions of governance. This led to increased tensions with the military and the deaths of many Hutu citizens. This has become a recurring trend in modern Burundi and many Hutu citizens are said to live in constant fear of potential violence by Tutsi dominated military even today.

ReferencesUvin, Peter. “Ethnicity and Power in Burundi and Rwanda: Different Paths to Mass Violence.” Comparative Politics, vol. 31, no. 3, 1999, pp. 253–271. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/422339. Accessed 16 Mar. 2020.- This article delves, in depth, about the colonial legacy on Burundi and especially creating the socioeconomic divide between the Hutus and Tutsis in the region.