SOUTHERN PROVINCE

HUYE—Hundreds of Genocide survivors took to the streets Friday in a peaceful demonstration over the continued killings of survivors and Gacaca witnesses in the province.

Made up of not only but primarily survivors of the 1994 Genocide, demonstrators carrying banners marched silently through the Butare business district before converging at Huye stadium where they were addressed by officials from the district and other survivor associations.

President of the Ibuka umbrella of Genocide organisations in the district Edward Kabarega wondered why Genocide survivors continued to be killed despite governments vow to protect them.

"The promise to protect Genocide survivors has not been fully implemented,” Kabarega said.

"People continue to be killed in many parts of the country, more especially in thispProvince. It is time authorities took stringent measures to protect survivors and Gacaca witnesses.”

The demonstration s in the district come after the killing of three Genocide survivors, the latest victim being the Kabulemera Gacaca court judge Paul Rutayisire.

Different speakers called upon government, specifically local decentralized authorities to play a more active role in tackling the issue of survivor protection. District vice-mayor of economics Ildefonse Gasana called upon Genocide survivors themselves to be security-conscious.

"We cannot guarantee total security to every homestead. We do not have enough police personnel to guard every individual.”

"That is why we call upon every person to be on the look out and report any suspicious characters to authorities so that they can act before they strike.”

A Provincial security meeting held in Karama sector on Thursday resolved to "beef up” security in the area and requested police and court officials to hold speedy trials of those suspected to have killed Paul Rutayisire. The demonstrators during the day pooled over Frw50,000 to the family of Rutayisire.

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