Why are Burundi’s borders different from those of many other sub-Saharan African countries?

Unlike the borders of most countries in sub-Saharan Africa, which were largely determined by European colonial powers, the boundaries of Burundi reflect a state that was historically developed by the Burundian monarchy.12

The kingdom emerged in the 16th century under a Tutsi monarchy, with the state's territorial foundation established by the mwami (king) and a princely class known as the ganwa. Because these borders were established through the evolution of the indigenous monarchy rather than through external colonial partition, they differ significantly from the borders of many other nations in the region.12