Before the 1960s, the Belgians were in control of Rwanda. According to Tim Anderson, “the Belgians used the Tutsi to help control the majority population of Rwanda, by granting them political power and education resources. The Tutsi profited from this relationship, and worked with the Belgians to keep the Hutu as the poor, unskilled labor class within Rwanda”. The Hutus became jealous of the elite upper class and the privileges the Tutsis had. As soon as Belgium was unable to “maintain control of its overseas colony, the Hutu saw their chance to change this undemocratic situation” (Anderson). Rwanda finally became independent when the Belgians left in 1961, and tensions between the two ethnic groups grew more intense. The Hutu extremist-led government planned to oppress Rwanda’s entire Tutsi minority. To trap the Tutsis, the Hutus closed off all passages to and from Rwanda. This persecution of the Tutsis led to the Rwandan Genocide.
