Pre Rwanda Genocide Timeline

  • 1000

    The Beginning of Rwanda

    Since 1,000 AD, Rwanda has been dominated by hunter-gathers. The Hutus were the first to settle here and dominated the area. By the 16th century, the Tutsis had arrived and began dominating.
  • Period: 1000 to

    Pre Rwanda Genocide

  • European Opinions

    Europeans who had come to the area started favoriting the Tutsis for their features. Based solely upon their similar features, the Europeans granted power to the Tutsis over the Hutus. By the 1920s the Tutsis were put first academically and socially.
  • A Turning Point

    By the 1950s, the Tutsis had begun campaigning to break from colonial rule. Worried by the rebellion, Belgium began favoring the Hutus.
  • A Complete Turn

    In 1959, the Belgians began allowing Hutus to Tutsis' houses. Over 10,000 Tutsis were killed and over 120,000 fled. The oppression of the Hutus had now been reversed.
  • A New Generation

    The Rwanda-European collaboration was running smoothly until the 1960s when a new generation started questioning the true history of Rwanda. The history of Rwanda had been twisted by the Europeans of who had actually arrived in Rwanda first.