African leaders support repatriation of Somali refugees

Monday, May 27, 2013

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African leaders gathered at the Intergovernmental Authority on Development summit in Addis Ababa agreed to support the repatriation of Somali refugees from Kenya and Ethiopia, Somalia's Garowe Online reported Sunday (May 26th).

Leaders agreed Friday to support "the initiative by the governments of Somalia and Kenya and UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) to convene an international conference on the repatriation of Somali refugees to be held later this year".

According to a statement by Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, Kenya and Somalia will co-chair the conference, inviting the input of Somali stakeholders on how to re-settle refugees safely and in an orderly fashion.

Somali government spokesman Abdirahman Omar Osman welcomed the initiative.

Millions of Somali refugees currently live in Ethiopia and Kenya, with close to half a million in Kenya's Dadaab refugee camp complex alone.

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