Rwanda was historically home to three ethnic groups: the majority Hutu, the minority Tutsi, and a small population of Twa. Historically, these groups coexisted in a hierarchy, with a ruling Tutsi class, but with mobility between groups. However, under the German and Belgian colonial administrations, these ethnic divisions were politicized and racialized. After Rwanda gained independence, the Hutu became the ruling class and began mass discriminating against the formerly powerful Tutsi.