Somalia Government on the aliens' crackdown, condemns stereotyping

By Kamau Muthoni

Kenya: We are supporting the operation to weed out illegal immigrants in Kenya but we do not support profiling Somali people as the source of threats, the Somalia Government has said.

Speaking on Friday in a press briefing in Nairobi, Somalia’s ambassador to Kenya Mohamed Ali Nur said that not all the people arrested are terrorists and that they required humane treatment whilst being screened.

“We are in support of the Kenyan Government’s operation but if our people are harassed we will complain. We don’t want our people humiliated and we are ready to receive them in our country. We want them back to build our nation together,” he said.

He refuted claims that some of his countrymen are being deported back to Somalia without their knowledge. Nur said that the 82 who were taken back to Mogadishu voluntarily agreed that they had been in the country without legal documents and that they agreed to be taken back and build the country that is rising from its former state of war.

“No refugee has been taken out of Kenya without their will to. We received a guarantee from the Kenyan government that no refugee will be taken back to Somalia against their will. I personally accompanied the 82 to Mogadishu and they told me that they hailed from different parts of our country. They accepted that they had no documents allowing them to be here.

Asked about how the immigrants were able to access the capital city and make a life, he said that, “We live as a family, a community of people and thus they got help from their families.”

The Ambassador added that he has been allowed to get access of the detention centres in which he was to visit one of them on Friday.

He added that the Kenyan Government allowed business men and students from the country to come and run businesses and school but with the right documents.

The sentiments come after the Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph ole Lenku said more than 4,000 people have been arrested on suspicion of being illegally in the country and possessing fake identification documents.

Lenku blamed the aliens, especially refugees, for terror attacks in the country.

Nur condemned the attacks by Al shabaab in various parts of the country saying that the culprits pose a threat to both the Kenyan and Somalia citizens.

Olelenku said the operation would continue in Nairobi, Mombasa and Nakuru with the intention of nabbing those who are in the country illegally.

The CS made the remarks when he addressed a team of security chiefs at the Kenya School of Government, Kabete aimed at checking how they have been handling crime in general.

The CS termed as apologists, those opposed to the operations and vowed it would continue.

“The noises you are hearing are because we are doing a good job. Don’t be distracted by these sideshows and let them paint us any colour they want but we will deliver to Kenyans,” said Lenku.

Nur added that, “We hope that the process will go on humanely and legally.”