Hiiraan Online
Sunday, April 26, 2015
MANDERA (HOL) ----Facing prosecutions and clampdown by Kenyan forces after series of attacks across Kenya, refugees in the world's largest refugee camp have dismissed the government's claims that the camp shelter terrorists who carried out deadly attacks in the East African nation.
Kenya has instructed the UN Refugees agency to relocate refugees back to Somalia, or else the government would do it, drawing criticism from the refugees agencies that asked the government to back down its decision.
Mohamed Olow, the security chief for northeastern refugee camps termed the accusation as 'void' which aimed at displacing refugees in camps.
"We have bad and good people in the country, thus the government needs to deal with those evil minded in the country, not victims of terrorist attacks," he told reporters on Saturday.
His remarks come weeks after Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta said that those behind an attack on Kenyan university which killed 148 people were "deeply embedded" in Kenya, putting more pressure on refugees in the camps.
The Al-Qaeda linked Al-Shabab group in Somalia claimed the responsibility for the attack, vowing more attacks targeting the east African countries.
The attack by gunmen was the deadliest assault by Al-Shabab in Kenya.The group also killed at least 67 in an attack on the upscale Westgate mall in Nairobi last year.
Somalis in Kenya are often subject to backlash after attacks by Al-Shabab in Kenya as troops often carry out security sweeps against Somalis. However, they often stress that those attacks are isolated incidents.
Despite their resistance, human rights group said that Somalis are scapegoat for Kenyan attacks often carried out by the Al-Qaeda linked group which vowed attacks in Kenya after the east African nation sent troops to fight militants in Somalia after spate of kidnappings in Kenya.