Kenya, UN Constitute Commission to Repatriate Refugees

Cabinet Secretary for Foreign Affairs Ambassador Amina Mohammed said that the government has already began talks with UNHCR on how to repatriate the Somali refugees from the Dadaab camp.

Ambassador Mohammed said that efforts are underway to facilitate the refugees to return to their country, part of which involves provision of basic services inside Somalia.

She said that Kenya is ready to negotiate any other modalities with stakeholders in order to ensure that the refugees are comfortable once they are relocated.

Terror attacks planned at the camp

The UNHCR representative Raouf Mazou said that the exercise has to be voluntary for the refugees so as to safeguard their human rights.

The Somali refugees issue has recently raised debate after Deputy President William Ruto announced that the government would shut down the Dadaab Refugee Camp in three months time and repatriate all the refugees to Somalia.

Reports indicate that terror attacks taking place in the country might have been planned at the camp.

The announcement by the three officials this morning now seems to prefer the voluntary channel that has been ongoing since December 2013, when a tripartite agreement was signed to have the Somali refugees voluntarily go back.