Tuesday, September 20, 2016
By Michael Mumo
William Rut has been Deputy President of Kenya since 2013. FILE PHOTO
Some 100,000 Somalia refugees have been processed and documented ready to go back home in the ongoing voluntary repatriation, according to Deputy President William Ruto.
Ruto told a roundtable meeting at the ongoing UN General Assembly in New York that out of this number, 27,000 have returned to Somalia.
"We believe that the opportunity for the reconstruction of Somalia lies in the return of its people. Furthermore, the solution to protracted refugee situations demand that the root causes of violence and conflict are addressed," he said.
He urged support for reconstruction of Somalia and AMISOM, which he said is playing a critical role in stabilising the war-torn nation and safeguarding the safe return of its people.
Ruto said Kenya has deployed $10 million dollars in new money to repatriate the refugees.
He asked the international community to collaborate with the Government of Somalia in the reconstruction and restoration of critical services in order to support repatriation and resettlement.
He spoke as world leaders came together at the United Nations General Assembly to adopt the New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants, which expresses the political will of world leaders to protect the rights of refugees and migrants, to save lives and share responsibility for large movements on a global scale.