Part 3/9:
Colonialism greatly influenced the socio-political landscape of both nations. The Belgian colonial rule established and deepened ethnic divisions between the Hutu and Tutsi groups, creating a legacy of resentment and violence that persisted even after Rwanda and Burundi gained independence in the early 1960s. The lack of stability in Rwanda culminated in a brutal civil war in the early 1990s, which eventually led to the infamous genocide.