Ethnic Identity Cards Introduced in Rwanda-Urundi

In 1933, during Belgian colonial rule over Rwanda-Urundi, all citizens were issued identity cards that defined their ethnicity as Hutu, Tutsi, or Twa. This policy formalized and hardened the ethnic distinctions that had existed in Rwandan society for centuries but had previously been more fluid. Before colonization, social mobility was possible—individuals could shift between Hutu and Tutsi identities based on wealth or status. However, the Belgian administration, influenced by European racial theories, viewed the Tutsi as a superior, "more European-like" race, and Hutu as the "peasant class." The Belgians favored Tutsi in education, administration, and leadership, creating deep resentment among the Hutu majority. The identity cards permanently classified individuals based on ethnicity, creating rigid divisions and setting the stage for ethnic tensions that would later escalate into violence, including the 1959 Hutu Revolution and the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. The 1933 ethnic identity cards became a symbol of colonial interference and social engineering, contributing to Rwanda’s troubled history of ethnic conflict. #MomentsOfLife #MoofLife_Moment #MoofLife