Ruanda-Urundi, former colonial territory, central Africa, now divided between the independent states of Rwanda and Burundi. The original inhabitants of the area were the Twa, a Pygmy people, who around A.D. 1000 were driven into the forests by the numerically superior Hutu, a Bantu-speaking agricultural people who immigrated from the east. Probably in the 15th cent., the pastoral Tutsi entered the area from the north. Although greatly outnumbered by the Hutu, the Tutsi gained dominance over them and by the 19th cent. had established two centralized states, Rwanda and Burundi. The first Europeans to explore the region were Oskar Baumann (in 1892) and Graf von Götzen (in 1894). Germany had gained rights to the region at the Conference of Berlin (1884-85), but only began to administer (as parts of German East Africa) Burundi in 1897 and Rwanda in 1907. During World War I, Belgium conquered (1916) the region, and, in 1924, Ruanda-Urundi was formally constituted a mandate of the League of Nations under Belgian rule. In 1946 it became a UN trust territory. Under neither the German nor the Belgian administrations was the social structure of Burundi altered, but in Rwanda the Hutu in 1960-61 gained dominance over the Tutsi. There was little economic development during the colonial period, but missionaries gained many adherents for Christianity. When Ruanda-Urundi achieved independence on July 1, 1962, it was split into two territories, Rwanda and Burundi, and by 1964 all common administrative bodies had been dissolved.

Former territory, east-central Africa. It was administered by Belgium from 1922 to 1962, during which time it was reconstituted (1946) as a UN trust territory. It was part of the Belgian Congo from 1925 to 1960. In 1962 it was divided into the independent states of Rwanda and Burundi.

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List of Colonial Heads of Burundi (Ruanda-Urundi)

(Dates in italics indicate de facto continuation of office)

Military District of Ujiji

Tenure	Incumbent	Notes
1896 to 189?	Hans von Ramsay, Commander of the Military District of Ujiji
189? to 1901	Heinrich von Bethe, Commander of the Military District of Ujiji

Military District of Usumbura in German East Africa

Tenure	Incumbent	Notes
1899 to 1902	Heinrich von Bethe, Commander of the Military District of Usumbura
1902 to 1904	Robert Oskar von Beringe, Commander of the Military District of Usumbura
1904 to 1906	Werner von Grawert, Commander of the Military District of Usumbura
Military Residency of Urundi and Ruanda
1906 to 15 November 1907	Werner von Grawert, Resident of Urundi and Ruanda
15 November 1907	Division into two civil residencies: Ruanda and Urundi

Territories south of Lake Victoria, including Northern Ruanda

Tenure	Incumbent	Notes
Belgian Suzerainty
Military commanders
May 1916 to 1916	Philippe François Joseph Molitor, Commander of the Northern Brigade
1916 to 1917	Armand Christophe Huyghé, Commander of the Northern Brigade

Territories east of Lake Kivu and Lake Tanganyika, including Southern Ruanda and Urundi

Tenure	Incumbent	Notes
Belgian Suzerainty
Military commanders
June 1916 to 1917	Frederik Voldemar Olsen, Commander of the Southern Brigade

Belgian Occupied East African Territories

Tenure	Incumbent	Notes
Belgian Suzerainty
1916 to 22 November 1916	Charles Henry Marie Ernest Tombeur, Military Governor
22 November 1916 to May 1919	Justin Prudent François Marie Malfeyt, Royal Commissioner for Occupied East Africa
May 1919 to 20 October 1924	Alfred Frédéric Gérard Marzorati, Royal Commissioner for Occupied East Africa
November 1921 to July 1922	Pierre Ryckmans, acting Royal Commissioner for Occupied East Africa
League of Nations Mandated Territory of Ruanda-Urundi
20 July 1922 to 20 October 1924
20 October 1924 to 1 March 1926	Alfred Frédéric Gérard Marzorati, Royal Commissioner for Ruanda-Urundi
Administrative union with Belgian Congo
1 March 1926 to 28 August 1926	Alfred Frédéric Gérard Marzorati, Royal Commissioner for Ruanda-Urundi
15 November 1925 to 13 December 1926	Pierre Ryckmans, acting Royal Commissioner for Ruanda-Urundi
28 August 1926 to 5 February 1929	Alfred Frédéric Gérard Marzorati, Governor and Deputy Governor-General of the Belgian Congo
5 February 1929 to 4 July 1930	Louis Joseph Postiaux, acting Governor and Deputy Governor-General of the Belgian Congo
4 July 1930 to 18 August 1932	Charles Henri Joseph Voisin, Governor and Deputy Governor-General of the Belgian Congo
18 August 1932 to 5 July 1946	Eugène Jacques Pierre Louis Jungers, Governor and Deputy Governor-General of the Belgian Congo
5 July 1946 to 13 December 1946	Maurice Simon, Governor and Deputy Governor-General of the Belgian Congo
United Nations Trust Territory of Ruanda-Urundi
13 December 1946 to 1947	Maurice Simon, Governor and Deputy Governor-General of the Belgian Congo
1947 to August 1949	Maurice Simon, Governor and Deputy Governor-General of the Belgian Congo
August 1949 to 1 January 1952	Léon Antoine Marie Pétillon, Governor and Deputy Governor-General of the Belgian Congo
1 January 1952 to 1 March 1955	Alfred Maria Josephus Ghislencus Claeys Boúúaert, Governor and Deputy Governor-General of the Belgian Congo
1 March 1955 to 1960	Jean-Paul Harroy, Governor and Deputy Governor-General of the Belgian Congo
1960 to 1 July 1962	Jean-Paul Harroy, Resident-General
1 July 1962	Independence as Republic of Burundi and Republic of Rwanda

Tenure	Incumbent	Notes
1916 to 1917	Gustave Eugène Henri Stevens, Commander of the Occupation Force

Tenure	Incumbent	Notes
191? to 19??	Nigel Edward Frank Corbett, Head of the Civil Administration

For continuation after independence, See: Rulers and Heads of State of Burundi and Presidents of Rwanda

See also

• Burundi
• Kings of Burundi
• Rulers and heads of state of Burundi
• Heads of government of Burundi
• Colonial heads of Burundi
• Heads of state of Martyazo
• Colonial heads of Burundi (Urundi)
• Lists of office-holders