The original inhabitants of the area of modern-day Burundi were probably the Batwa (Twa), a subgroup of the Twide pygmies. The Bahutus compose nearly 85 percent of the population in Burundi. Another group, the Watutsis (also called Tutsis) arrived in the area later but dominated both the Twa and the Bahutus. They composed about 14 percent of the population of Burundi.

The Watutsis dominated the Bahutus for more than four hundred years. They came as invaders and quickly established themselves as the ruling class. The Watutsis were pastoralists (nomads with cattle as their chief commodity and status symbol) and warriors; in time they shaped and controlled a feudal society with the Bahutus at the bottom. The two groups share a common language, Kirundi. Educated members of the two groups, including literate peasants, speak French. The Watutsis regarded themselves as an elite minority, constantly on guard against real and imaginary plots by the Bahutu m

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