Why are Rwanda and Burundi often considered part of Central Africa?

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Cluster of small houses in a village nestled among green hills beside the wide Congo River, with more hills visible in the background, Democratic Republic of Congo. — Central Africa A small village in the hills along the banks of the Congo River, Democratic Republic of Congo, Central Africa.

Rwanda and Burundi are often categorized as part of Central Africa primarily due to their long-standing administrative connections with the former Belgian Congo, now the Democratic Republic of the Congo.1

While these two nations are geographically situated east of the East African Rift System—which serves as the eastern divide of the Congo Basin—their historical ties to the region are significant. Following World War I, both Rwanda and Burundi were administered by Belgium as a single mandate territory known as Ruanda-Urundi, which maintained close administrative links to the Belgian Congo until they achieved independence in 1962.123