Stamps issued: 1962-PRESENT
Prior to 1962 see Rwanda
As Urundi, it was part of German East Africa 1899-1914 and was then administered by Belgium, under a United Nations mandate, until it became an independent kingdom in 1962. In 1966, the monarchy was overthrown by a military coup. Traditionally, Burundi has been ruled by the Tutsi (Watusi) tribe, which comprises only 14 percent of the population. In 1972-73, the Bantu Hutus, who make up 85 percent of Burundi's population, revolted, sparking a genocidal civil war in which 150,000 Hutsi and 10,000 Tutsi were killed. Another 100,000 Hutsi fled to Tanzania and Zaire. Attempts to reconcile the two groups have failed, and a 1993-96 civil war resulted in the deaths of at least 150,000 Burundians.
