Ganwa

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".^[6]

References

1. Longman, Timothy (2010). Christianity and Genocide in Rwanda. ISBN 978-0-521-19139-5.
2. Civil Wars of the World: Major Conflicts Since World War II, Volume 1 page 205
3. "Identity, politics, and economics in the East African Community's most troubled member". Archived from the original on 2015-02-22. Retrieved 2015-05-21.
4. Scherrer, Christian P. (2002). Genocide and Crisis in Central Africa: Conflict Roots, Mass Violence and Regional War. ISBN 0-275-97224-0.
5. On Vansina's Le Rwanda Ancien:Three commentaries. p. 153.
6. Croyances et Pratiques Religieuses des Barundi.