Uhuru seeks repatriation of refugees

By Philip Mwakio

MOMBASA, KENYA: Kenya and the Federal Republic of Somalia are working on modalities to ensure repatriation of Somali refugees holed up in camps in North Eastern.

Speaking at State House, Mombasa on Saturday, President Uhuru Kenyatta who hosted his Somalia counterpart, Hassan Sheikh Mahmud said following the return of stability and pacification of Somalia, they have agreed on the need to have refugees return to their homeland.

The Somalia leader and his entourage had flown from Mogadishu to Mombasa to pay a courtesy call on President Uhuru, who is on a working tour of Coast Province.

“A lot of progress has been achieved to stabilise and pacify Somali under the leadership of President Hassan Sheikh. We have held very fruitful discussions and covered a wide range of mutual interests to our two brotherly states,” the Head of State said.

President Mahamud who was accompanied by Somalia’s Foreign Affairs Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Fawziya Haji Adan lauded the cordial relationship between Somali and Kenya. “We are optimistic of continued friendship and support that both the Kenya government and your Defence forces working under the aegis of Amisom have done to ensure peace returns to Somali,” he said.

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President Uhuru and the Somalia leader agreed that, Al Shabaab was the greatest impediment to making further progress and urged all friendly states to focus on fighting the terrorist group to secure Somalia and neighbouring countries.

And on the question of establishing local and regional administration in the liberated areas, the two Heads of State reiterated the need to respect sanctity of the Somalia provisional Constitution of the Federal Republic of Somalia. Uhuru conceded that they agreed to recognise the importance of a regional approach to managing bilateral and regional affairs.

“In respect of this, we reiterated the important role of IGAD and proposed that it focuses on providing technical assistance and facilitation to Somalia in implementing the stabilisation process,” he said.