The government has urged Asian countries to support its efforts of repatriate the Somalia refugees in the Kenyan camps, ahead of a conference to be held in August this year.
Speaking during a breakfast meeting with the Asian Ambassadors at a Nairobi hotel, the Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohammed said that the plans of repatriation of all Somalia refugees is critical and that the Asians should come in and give their financial, economical support.
Ambassador Amina said that currently there are over one million Somali refugees, of which 600,000 are formally registered.
“The good news is that almost 50 percent of the refugees have been asking to go back to their country therefore it will be a voluntary process,” she said.
She revealed that Kenya and Somalia have almost finished mapping secure places in Somalia where the refugees will relocate.
“We are seeking your support in ensuring we have an appropriate level of support to enable them resettle peacefully in their homeland,” she told the ambassadors.
On their part the ambassadors said they are ready to give out any support the government will require ranging from bilateral consultations that will see the issue handled very fast.
This happens barely after two months when Medicins Sans Frontiers (MSF) a non-governmental organization disputed over the plans saying that the security conditions on ground were not yet conducive for the well being of the refugees.
The conference to be held in the second week of August will discuss modalities of repatriating more than one million Somali refugees to their country.
The conference will be co-hosted by the Governments of Kenya, Somali and UNHCR with the International Organization for Immigration (IOM) being invited.
Source: KBC