Somali State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Buri’ Mohamed Hamza, said the government was preparing for the safe return of Somali refugees by improving security and reviving infrastructure in newly liberated areas in Somalia. Radio Ergo’s Abdikadir Mohamed Abdulle interviewed him and first asked him about the repatriation process of Somali refugees in Kenya.
Buri’: I attended a conference in Geneva where participants discussed issues relating to Somali refugees in Kenya. I met there Kenya’s interior minister, Joseph Ole Lenku, who promised me that no more refugees would be forced back to their country. But those willing to go back can return anytime they wish. We requested aid agencies to help us revive social infrastructure in areas that our troops liberated from the Al-Shabaab militant group, and they promised to build schools, factories and create jobs for the local people.
Ergo: What did Kenya’s interior minister tell you?
Buri’: He promised us that there would be no more refugees forcibly repatriated. In a recent similar conference in Addis Ababa, Kenya said there would be no forced repatriation of refugees.
Ergo: What have you discussed with UNHCR officials? What is the stand of UNHCR on Somali refugees? Does it want to keep Somalis in the camps, or does it want to return the people with the assistance of both countries, Somalia and Kenya?
Buri: UNHCR shares similar sentiments with us; to build schools in liberated areas, to create services for the locals, for instance, farmers can only return to their areas when they are promised to be given seeds to plant crops. Although Al-Shabaab has been removed from many areas in the country, that doesn’t mean everything is smooth. There is a long way to go in making sure everything comes back to normal.
Ergo: You have recently visited Barawe. What did you see there?
Buri: People in Barawe are mostly pastoralists and fishermen. The city is very beautiful for the tourism industry, and most of the people are willing to invest in the town once the terror group is dislodged from the area.
Ergo: The Somali government promised to send food aid to people in Barawe. Did that happen?
Buri: People should not sit and wait for aid. They are supposed to come up with initiatives and go to work. d Kenya?
Buri: UNHCR shares similar sentiments with us; to build schools in liberated areas, to create services for the locals, for instance, farmers can only return to their areas when they are promised to be given seeds to plant crops. Although Al-Shabaab has been removed from many areas in the country, that doesn’t mean everything is smooth. There is a long way to go in making sure everything comes back to normal.
Ergo: You have recently visited Barawe. What did you see there?
Buri: People in Barawe are mostly pastoralists and fishermen. The city is very beautiful for the tourism industry, and most of the people are willing to invest in the town once the terror group is dislodged from the area.
Ergo: The Somali government promised to send food aid to people in Barawe. Did that happen?
Buri: People should not sit and wait for aid. They are supposed to come up with initiatives and go to work.
