Hutu
The Hutu people originate from the Great Lakes Region of Africa, particularly from Burundi and Rwanda. Hutus make up the ethnic majority of Rwanda while the largest minority ethnic group are Tutsi. The two ethnic groups experienced a brutal conflict resulting in genocide in the last half of the 20th century in both Rwanda and Burundi. There are many theories that explain the differences between the two ethnic groups, including genetic differences and physical appearance, however, the most common explanation is that the conflict and distinctions occurred due to social constructions of difference. During the 1994 Rwandan Genocide up to three quarters of the Tutsi population were killed, as were thousands of Hutus who opposed the violence against the Tutsi population.
