Hutu revolution

The Hutu revolution in Rwanda, beginning in 1959, was a peasant revolt that evolved into a political movement to overthrow the monarchy and establish Hutu control. Led by Grégoire Kayibanda, the Party for Hutu Emancipation gained power through communal elections in 1960. A coup in January 1961, with Belgian approval, led to an all-Hutu provisional government. By Rwanda's independence in July 1962, the revolution had largely succeeded, resulting in the exile of approximately 150,000 Tutsi.12

Following this, north-south regional tensions within the Hutu political elite led to another coup in 1973, bringing Juvénal Habyarimana to power. Tensions between Hutu and Tutsi resurfaced in 1990 with an invasion by the Tutsi-led Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF). Despite a peace agreement in 1993, extremist Hutu opposed power-sharing. Tragically, in 1994, Hutu extremists perpetrated a genocide, killing nearly a million Tutsi and moderate Hutu.34