History of Conflict and its Impact on Rwandan Development

In Rwanda, social cohesion and political structures disintegrated during the German occupation (1897-1916), followed by the Belgians (1916-1962). The history of systematic economic and political disenfranchisement of the Hutu population majority under Belgian rules led to resentment between the Tutsi, a minority representing 14.0% of the population, and the Hutu, which constituted 85.0% of the population.