Editing History of Rwanda (section)

===Belgian UN trust territory (1945–1961)===
[[File:Lake Kivu shore at Gisenyi.jpg|thumb|Shore of [[Lake Kivu]] at [[Gisenyi]]]]
Following [[World War II]], Ruanda-Urundi became a [[United Nations]] [[United Nations trust territories|trust territory]] with Belgium as the administrative authority. Reforms instituted by the Belgians in the 1950s encouraged the growth of democratic political institutions but were resisted by the Tutsi traditionalists, who saw them as a threat to Tutsi rule.

From the late 1940s, [[Mutara III Rudahigwa|King Rudahigwa]], a Tutsi with democratic vision, abolished the "ubuhake" system and redistributed cattle and land. Although the majority of pasture lands remained under Tutsi control, the Hutu began to feel more liberation from Tutsi rule. Through the reforms, the Tutsis were no longer perceived to be in total control of cattle, the long-standing measure of a person's wealth and social position. The reforms contributed to ethnic tensions.

The Belgian institution of ethnic identity cards contributed to the growth of group identities. Belgium introduced electoral representation for Rwandans, by means of secret ballot. The majority Hutus made enormous gains within the country. The Catholic Church, too, began to oppose Tutsi mistreatment of Hutus, and began promoting equality.{{Citation needed|date=September 2011}}

Mwami Mutara took steps to end the destabilization and chaos he saw in the land.{{Citation needed|date=June 2009}} Mutara made many changes; in 1954 he shared out the land between the Hutu and the Tutsi, and agreed to abolish the system of indentured servitude ([[ubuhake|''ubuhake'' and ''uburetwa'']]) the Tutsis had practised over the Hutu until then.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Historical Dictionary of Rwanda|last=Twagilimana|first=Aimable|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield|year=2015|isbn=9781442255906|pages= xxix}}</ref>