Hiiraan Online
Saturday, September 03, 2016
MOGADISHU (HOL) – The Somali regional administration of Jubbaland said it would allow refugees being repatriated from Kenya’s Dadaab camp to arrive in the region, reversing its recent decision which prevented returnees from moving beyond a post on the country's border with Kenya.
As many as 1200 Somalis who recently left Dadaab are being held at the Dhobley transition centre, a spokesman for the United Nations refugee agency said on Thursday.
However, the Kenyan-backed Jubbaland state which controls large parts of Jubba regions which is close to the border announced it would now allow refugees to enter the region amid concerns by local officials that despite resettlement promises by aid agencies their resettlement plan for the returning refugees was not going forward as planned.
“After talks with the UNHCR, we have agreed to allow refugees to either enter Jubbaland or proceed to their respective destinations.” Gen. Mohamed Warsame, Jubbaland’s interior minister told Voice of America’s Somali Service Friday.
“During the talks, we have also agreed not to repatriate the remaining refugees until their resettlement plan is being finalized.” He said.
On early this year, Kenyan government said it decided to close the camp, citing ‘reasons of ‘pressing national security’ and that the sprawling camp has become a ‘safe haven’ for terrorist groups like Al Shabab.
The decision by Kenyan government had sent shockwaves across the refugee communities in the camp who have no desire to return to their respective countries that they fled due to unrest and prosecutions they may again face back home.
The development decried by rights groups and aid agencies threatens to uproot hundreds of thousands of refugees in the semi-arid refugee camp in north-eastern Kenya which hosts over 300,000 people.
Dadaab, the largest refugee camp in the world found itself in Kenyan security’s crosshairs after deadly attacks by the Somalia-based Al-Qaeda linked Al Shabab group in recent years.
Established in 1991, the camp largely receives people fleeing conflict in Somalia, as well ethnic people escaping prosecution in some East African countries.