Ganwa Explained

Ganwa is the name for the princely group that traditionally ruled Burundi. They formed a distinct social class that was neither Hutu nor Tutsi, although they were affiliated with the latter.^{[1] [2]} They have launched several appeals to be recognized as a distinct socio-cultural grouping.^{[3] [4]}

Origins

Burundi's Ganwa Dynasty was were not from the Hima stock, as was the case for the Nyiginya Dynasty of Rwanda^[5]

The White Father, Bernard Zuure reported that the first king of Burundi (Rufuku, father of Ntare), was a Hutu: "Everybody here says so, and the princes themselves told me they do not descend from a tutsi". The Ganwa kings of Burundi did not like to be called Tutsi because the Tutsi were associated with the Hima, who were despised.^{[6] [7]}

Notes and References

1. Book: Longman . Timothy . Christianity and Genocide in Rwanda . Christianity and Genocide in Rwanda . 2010 . 978-0-521-19139-5.
2. https://books.google.com/books?id=nrN077AEgzMC&dq=Ganwa+ethnic&pg=PA205 Civil Wars of the World: Major Conflicts Since World War II, Volume 1
3. Web site: Identity, politics, and economics in the East African Community's most troubled member . 2015-05-21 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150222095053/http://theafricanresource.com/country-profiles/east-africa/burundi/ . 2015-02-22 . dead .
4. Book: Christian P. . Scherrer . Genocide and Crisis in Central Africa: Conflict Roots, Mass Violence and Regional War . 2002 . 0-275-97224-0.
5. Book: On Vansina's Le Rwanda Ancien:Three commentaries. 153.
6. Book: Croyances et Pratiques Religieuses des Barundi.
7. Book: Us” and “them”: reciprocal perceptions and interactions between amoko in contemporary Burundi.