A number of events have marked the 16th Anniversary of the Rwandan genocide this week.

At Southwark Cathedral, addresses were given by Linda Melvern and the new Rwandan High Commissioner to the UK, Ernest Rwamucyo, at a commemoration organised by the High Commission, at which plans for a new genocide memorial were launched. The Refectory at Southwark Cathedral is also hosting an exhibition of the photographs of SURF photographer, Andrew Sutton.

At the national commemoration in Rwanda H.E. President Paul Kagame pledged to continue to work for the support of the survivors in a speech at the Amahoro National Stadium, recognising their ongoing challenges:

Problems that don’t get solved have dire consequences to homeless, destitute survivors. However, I assure you that there is continued progress and we will see to it that the situation is corrected and further developed.

At the United Nations, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon pledged in a statement that the “United Nations is fully committed to securing justice for the victims of genocide and to preventing future atrocities.” SURF is maintaining its campaign calling on the United Nations to honour its commitment to assist survivors in Rwanda, which we contest is the most effective means of delivering justice to survivors, in the form of restorative justice.

In Rwanda, SURF facilitated a commemoration event in Kamonyi at the Survivor’s Centre adjacent to the Never Again Memorial Site.

SURF supported a survivor-led commemoration in Birmingham, organised by the West Midlands – Rwandan Community Association. This is to be followed on Saturday 17th April at 2pm with a commemoration at the Amnesty International UK Human Rights Action Centre organised by Hope Survivors Foundation. All are invited.

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