TRIBUTES PAID TO RWANDA SURVIVORS

July 16, 2004 - (BBC) Hundreds of women gathered in London's Trafalgar Square on Friday to honour the survivors of the Rwandan genocide.

First-hand accounts were read by the Rwandan ambassador to the UK, singers Beverley Knight and Kym Mazelle and journalist Polly Toynbee.

The event marked the 10th anniversary of the end of the massacres.

It aimed to raise awareness of the plight of women in Rwanda, many of whom were raped by HIV-positive men, and of free medical treatment for them.

Hundreds of thousands of Rwandans - mostly minority Tutsis - were slaughtered in the genocide of 1994.

'Incredible response'

The survivors' testimonies at the event highlighted the stories of some of the 25,000 women and girls who were raped.

Mary Kayitesi Blewitt, who lost more than 50 of her relatives in the genocide, said: "It is so heartening to witness the incredible response of the British people to this urgent call to action."

"Without such support, we will not succeed in securing the vital treatment needed for women survivors in Rwanda raped and infected with HIV in 1994."

A 1,000-signature was handed in calling for the British Government to increase pressure on the international community to do more to fund medical treatment for women victims.

From: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/england/london/3901985.stm