THIS DAY IN HISTORY: 31st August 1923 (by Amma Fosuah Poku)

Ruanda-Urundi was made a Belgian protectorate when the League of Nations, forerunner to the United Nations, passed a resolution giving Belgium the right to govern the neighbouring territories. Prior to this the two countries had been annexed by Germany into the colony known as Deutsch-Ostafrika (German East Africa), which also included Tanganyika (part of present day Tanzania).

During what we know as the first world war Belgian led a military campaign driving German forces out of the colony in 1916. The Treaty of Versailles signed on 28th June 1919, after the end of the war, saw German East Africa divided between Britain (Tanganyika) and Belgium, with Belgian control of Ruanda-Urundi being formally ratified by the 1923 League of Nations mandate.

Begian colonial rule in the territory was more direct and harnessed divisions between the local people by establishing a ruling Tutsi elite who participated in the oppression and exploitation of a predominantly Hutu populace, many of who were forced to perform corvée (unpaid) labour.

In 1935 Belgium reinforced divisions by introducing identity cards to formally distinguish Tutsi from Hutu, and the smaller group of Twa people living in the region as well as "naturalised" Begians. This division sowed the seeds for the later complex civil conflicts which have taken place in the region.

Rwanda and Burundi gained independence as separate nations on 1st July 1962.

The following video is a short history of the region. As with all other videos I post listen and watch with an analytical ear and eye: