Quantcast
Channel: ReliefWeb Updates
Viewing all articles
Browse latest Browse all 14548

Kenya: EA’s a volatile region and refugees are victims of terrorists too

0
0
Source: EastAfrican
Country: Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Uganda, South Sudan

By Fred Oluoch

Somali refugees began voluntarily going home recently after an agreement between the government of Kenya, Somalia and UNHCR. Fred Oluoch talked with the country representative Raouf Mazou about their resettlement in Somalia.

Do you think the tripartite agreement between the governments of Kenya and Somalia; and the UNHCR to repatriate Somali refugees was timely?

The tripartite agreement was to provide a legal framework for the parties to play their role in supporting the return of these refugees. The best solution for those who had fled their countries is to return home.

After over 20 years, we hope that some of them will return. It is not going to be easy because the situation in south central Somalia is not uniformly safe. But we believe that a significant number of refugees have already returned, especially those who arrived in Kenya in 2011 due to drought.

What is the progress of the repatriation of Somali refugees since the signing of tripartite agreement last year?

We will be carrying out a pilot programme in the coming weeks. The programme will be the best way to test what needs to be improved on. We are looking at 10,000 initial returnees, but if we have 20,000 coming forward, we will make the necessary arrangements.

We are focusing on three places; Luuq, Baidoa and Kismayu. These are the places that we have confirmed as safe. We need to be present in these areas as UNHCR and, secondly, the returnees have to have access to services.

Is there anything like voluntary return?

Nobody is coercing the refugees to return home. Kenya has been receiving refugees since independence from Rwanda, Uganda, Burundi, Sudan and DRC.

I don’t think it is in the interest of anybody to coerce Somali refugees to return when they are not ready. The challenge is to make sure that when they return they have access to basic services and security, which are the responsibility of the international community. But we want to make sure that the returnees are fully informed about the security situation in the places they are going to.

What is the number of those who have so far returned voluntarily?

It is difficult to come up with an exact number, but we have seen a reduction in the number of refugees in recent years. From 2012, the number peaked 480,000, but when we did verification in 2013, the number went down to about 405,000. Today, we have about 316,000.

Does it mean that all these people have returned to Somalia?

Not necessarily. Maybe there were discrepancies in registration, like double registration, but what we hear from our colleagues in Somalia is that a significant number of people have been returning.

It is very difficult to give exact figures when it comes to random returns. Those who have returned could still come back because they still have their cards, but we are hoping that they will continue to stay in their places of origin. Last year, for instance, figures showed that 30,000 had returned randomly.

Who should ensure that there is security in areas they are returning to?

The government of Somalia and Amisom are providing support. Beyond that we have regional authorities like Somaliland, Puntland and Jubbaland.

As is the case everywhere, the number one responsibility for security lies with oneself. Refugees will only return to places where they feel secure. People should not say that they want to return if they are unsure of security.

Kenya repatriated the refugees largely because it is believed they are responsible for increased insecurity and proliferation of small arms in the country, and that there is need to move the camp inside Somalia. What is the position of UNHCR?

Relocation is out of question because there are already one million internally displaced people inside Somalia and the idea is not to increase this number. The international community can only protect the IDPs. But branding refugees as terrorists is not fair.

Refugees are victims of terrorists, they flee because of terrorism. There are Kenyan refugees in Uganda, Ethiopia and other countries; can they be termed as terrorists? Terrorism is a problem of the entire region.

There are some people who were born in Dadaab. Where do they go?

Even if you were born there, your parents must have come from somewhere. For instance, there are some South Sudanese who were born here but when the country got Independence in 2011, they returned. Again, Rwandan refugees had taken citizenship of countries they were living in such as Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania, but when the time came, they returned.

Is the Dadaab camp likely to be closed?

That is something that no one can say at this moment. For instance, Lockichoggio was once a booming and bustling town during the civil war in Sudan and nobody could have imagined 10 years ago that it could become a dead town. Dadaab could also die out should Somalia find lasting peace.

What are some of the challenges in dealing with refugees in eastern Africa?

One of the challenges is that this is a very volatile region that has seen a number of conflicts in recent years. Right now we are facing an influx of South Sudanese to Kenya. From mid-December, we have received close to 17,000 who arrived in Turkana West, where there were 120,000 refugees already.

What support do you get from host governments?

Access to land is the first issue to ensure that they are accommodated. We were allocated additional land but we still need more land from the host community and the government as more refugees arrive.

We have to consult with local authorities because they are the ones who receive refugees and live with them.

Once we have an agreement, it has to be formalised by the governor and by central authorities. Management of refugees has not been devolved and it remains the responsibility of the central authorities.

But it is clear that you cannot ensure that the refugees are fully protected if the local communities are not in favour.


Viewing all articles
Browse latest Browse all 14548

Latest Images

Trending Articles





Latest Images