AFRICA/KENYA - Agreement for the repatriation of one million Somali refugees

Nairobi (Agenzia Fides) - Kenya and Somalia signed yesterday, Sunday 10 November, an agreement for the return within three years of one million Somali refugees who have found asylum in Kenya.
The agreement was signed for Kenya by the Vice President William Ruto and for Somalia by the Deputy Premier and Minister of Foreign Affairs Fawzia Yusuf Adam. Kenya is committed, together with international institutions, to help refugees integrate into Somali society.
Kenya hosts 610,000 Somali refugees regularly recorded (many of whom are welcomed in the Dadaab refugee camp on the border with Kenya) and more than 500,000 are unregistered. Vice President Ruto said that especially the latter pose serious security problems for the Kenyan society. "It is no tradition for an African Country to complain of its guests, especially those who are in danger", said Ruto . " Even so, the large number of unregistered refugees, as well as the weight of the total of all refugees, has created unprecedented challenges to the security of Kenya". (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 11/11/2013)