Nearly 12,000 Somali Refugees Transferred Within Kenya

Home>>World

Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Wednesday, October 09, 2002

Nearly 12,000 Somali Refugees Transferred Within Kenya

DISCUSSION

CHINESE

SEND TO FRIEND

Some 11,800 Somali Bantu refugees have been successfully transferred from the Dadaab refugee camp in northeastern Kenya to Kakuma camp in the northwestern Turkana District, the United Nations refugee agency said Tuesday in Nairobi.

The transfer, which took nearly four months to complete, is aimed to facilitate the process of resettling the refugees in the United States, said the George OKoth-Obbo, representative of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

"This challenging operation could not have been possible without the support of partners, above all the International Organization for Migration, but not less so the government of Kenya, which provided various administrative support including police officers to escort each and every convoy," he said.

In Kakuma, the Somali Bantu refugees will undergo resettlement processing, including documentation and medical examinations as required by the US immigration, and the first of the refugees accepted are expected to leave for their new home early next year.

The Somali Bantus are a minority in Somalia and their physical, cultural and linguistic characteristics distinguish them from the Cushitic majority.

There are widespread discrimination against the Bantus in Somalia, and many of the Somali Bantu refugees have expressed unwillingness to go back to Somalia, said the representative.

"Considering the security situation and specific protection concerns in their country of origin, repatriation of these refugees back to Somalia in safety and dignity was considered quite unlikely," he said.

Questions?Comments? Click here

Somali Refugees in Kenya to be Relocated for Safety: UNHCR

Developer Plans to Raise Titanic in Shanghai ( 2 Messages)

Fewer Slogans, More Practical, Reflect Social Changes in China ( 3 Messages)

China Opposes US Congress Committee's Interference in China's Internal Affairs ( 2 Messages)

Multinationals Fight for Chinese Markets ( 2 Messages)