Have no doubts, Dadaab will be shut – CS Amina

If there’s anyone who doubts Kenya’s resolve to shut down Dadaab – the world’s largest refugee camp – the misgivings should end.

Kenya’s Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed made it clear on Thursday that the decision was final; there is simply no turning back.

Overview
To kick-start the repatriation process and subsequent closure of the Dadaab Refugee Complex, the Government has already set aside Sh1 billion
Nkaissery stated: “Refugee camps are not permanent settlements, they are not migration centres, and yet this seems to be what refugee camps in Kenya have been turned into.”
He said the Kenyan tax payers have paid dearly during the 25 years of existence of the camp
“There has been dragging of feet by the international community after we signed the tripartite agreement (on relocation of the refugees); people were not interested… we waited and nothing happened,” she said on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Kigali, Rwanda.

She made it clear the relocation was necessary to protect Kenya’s national interests.

“It became an issue of balancing nation security interests and international obligations; I’ve been doing what I am doing (diplomacy) for over 30 years. I’ve never come across a country that puts its international obligations above its national interests,” Mohamed said in defence of Kenya’s decision, which has been criticised by the international community.

She said while it was important for Kenya’s concerns to be taken into account, the welfare of the 300,000 plus refugees was also paramount.