Nairobi — Some 3,500 former genocide prisoners have begun building homes in Buture Province for survivors of the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, the Rwanda News Agency reported on Friday.

The former convicts are also involved in community development activities.

"We chose these activities because they would help the two parties of the genocide to unite and reconcile," Aimable Twagiramutara, the executive secretary of Butare Province, said.

At least 40,000 prisoners have been released so far in 2003, following a presidential directive. The measure applied to the sick, aged, under-aged and those who have confessed to lesser crimes of genocide. About 100,000 genocide suspects are still in detention awaiting trial.

In the genocide, Hutu extremists killed at least 800,000 Tutsi and politically moderate Hutus in 100 days.