Hutu the country (see Great Lakes refugee crisis). Hutu The Hutu , also known as the Abahutu, are a Bantu ethnic or Social group native to the African Great Lakes region of Africa, primarily area now under Burundi and Rwanda. They mainly live in Rwanda, Burundi, and the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, where they form one of the principal population divisions alongside the Tutsi and the Twa. The Hutu is the largest of the four main population divisions in Burundi and Rwanda. According to the Central Intelligence Agency, 84% of Rwandans and 85% of Burundians are Hutu, with Tutsis
Ethnic groups in Burundi declared a presidential republic; however peace did not ensue as a result. Even after 1966, the subsequent dictatorial regimes of Michel Micombero (1966–76), Jean-Baptiste Bagaza (1976–87), and Pierre Buyoya (1987–93) were dominated by Tutsi elites which often consciously marginalized and discriminated against the Hutu majority. The first Hutu to become head of state was Melchior Ndadaye in 1993, although he was assassinated shortly after taking power. Ethnic violence peaked in 1972 when 100,000 people, mainly Hutu, were killed by the Tutsi regime in the Burundian Genocide. Twa have also been targeted, specifically in violence directed against the Tutsi with whom