02-09-2017, 10:10 PM
*** 10-Feb-17 World View -- Kenya's High Court blocks attempt to close Dadaab refugee camp
This morning's key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com
****
**** Kenya's High Court blocks attempt to close Dadaab refugee camp
****
![[Image: g170209b.jpg]](http://www.GenerationalDynamics.com/ww2010/g170209b.jpg)
Somali refugees in the Dadaab refugee camp (Reuters)
Attempts by the government of Kenya to close down Dadaab refugee camp,
the world's largest refugee camp, have been set back by a decision by
the country's High Court ruling that closing the camp is
unconstitutional. According to judge John Mativo:
> [indent]<QUOTE>"The government's decision specifically targeting
> Somali refugees is an act of group persecution, illegal
> discriminatory and therefore unconstitutional."<END QUOTE>[/indent]
Dadaab was set up in 1991 to house families fleeing conflict in
neighboring Somalia, including the lawlessness and recurrent droughts.
(Recall that 1993 was the year of the famous "Black Hawk Down"
incident, where Somali militia fighters shot down two American
helicopters using rocket-propelled grenades. Mobs then hacked the
fallen pilots to death with machetes and dragged their mutilated
bodies through the streets as trophies.)
At its peak in 2012, the Dadaab refugee camp housed nearly a
half-million people. Many children had been born there and grown to
adulthood without ever leaving the camp. Since then, some Somalis
have left the camp and returned home voluntarily, and today Dadaab is
home to some 256,000 people.
A government spokesman said that Dadaab had become a haven for
al-Shabaab terrorists from Somalia, and that the court decision would
be appealed:
> [indent]<QUOTE>"The key reason for closure of the camp was that it
> had become a launch pad for various terrorist attacks by
> al-Shabaab. The camp has lost its humanitarian nature and become a
> haven for terrorism and other illegal activities.
>
> The lives of Kenyans matter. Our interest in this case, and in the
> closure of Dadaab refugee camp, remains to protect the lives of
> Kenyans.
>
> The closure of Dadaab camp has always drawn varying interest and
> opinions, both nationally and internationally however, the lives
> of Kenyans matter. It is for this reason that we shall be strongly
> appealing the decision by the High Court."<END QUOTE>[/indent]
In 2013, Kenya, Somalia and UNHCR signed a tripartite agreement that
all refugees should leave the camp and UNHCR would repatriate them all
voluntarily to Somalia by November 2016. However, the UNHCR effort
failed, and only 20,000 were repatriated.
Amnesty International called Wednesday's High Court ruling "historic":
> [indent]<QUOTE>"Today is a historic day for more than a quarter of a
> million refugees who were at risk of being forcefully returned to
> Somalia, where they would have been at serious risk of human
> rights abuses. This ruling reaffirms Kenya's constitutional and
> international legal obligation to protect people who seek safety
> from harm and persecution."<END QUOTE>[/indent]
The Star (Kenya) and BBC and AFP
Related Articles
****
**** Closure of Dadaab demanded after 2015 Garissa University attack in Kenya
****
The plans for Dadaab changed dramatically in April 2015, when the
Somalia terrorist group al-Shabaab killed over 147 people, mostly
Christian students, at Garissa University College in Kenya. The
students were massacred in their dormitories. Christians were singled
out and shot dead. 79 were injured, and 587 were led to safety.
The Garissa attack had an effect on Kenya's public not unlike the
effect of the 9/11/2001 attack on Americans. Kenya announced numerous
changes to improve security, and one of them was that the Dadaab
refugee camp should be closed within three months.
The date for closure kept getting pushed back. In May of last year,
Kenya said that would close down the camp by the end of the year. In
November, the date was pushed into 2017.
The problem is that most of the refugees in Dadaab were born there and
have spent their whole lives there, so they have no place to go.
Kenya's government has tried "bribing" the refugees by offering $200
apiece to leave voluntarily. But with 260,000 refugees still
remaining in the camp today, it's pretty clear that the effort to
close the camp is failing and, according to some people, will never
succeed.
At any rate, Wednesday's High Court decision means that the attempt
will end completely, at least for the time being. The Nation (Kenya)
Related Articles
KEYS: Generational Dynamics, Kenya, Dadaab refugee camp, Somalia,
John Mativo, UNHCR, Garissa University College
Permanent web link to this article
Receive daily World View columns by e-mail
Contribute to Generational Dynamics via PayPal
John J. Xenakis
100 Memorial Drive Apt 8-13A
Cambridge, MA 02142
Phone: 617-864-0010
E-mail: john@GenerationalDynamics.com
Web site: http://www.GenerationalDynamics.com
Forum: http://www.gdxforum.com/forum
Subscribe to World View: http://generationaldynamics.com/subscribe
This morning's key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com
- Kenya's High Court blocks attempt to close Dadaab refugee camp
- Closure of Dadaab demanded after 2015 Garissa University attack in Kenya
****
**** Kenya's High Court blocks attempt to close Dadaab refugee camp
****
Somali refugees in the Dadaab refugee camp (Reuters)
Attempts by the government of Kenya to close down Dadaab refugee camp,
the world's largest refugee camp, have been set back by a decision by
the country's High Court ruling that closing the camp is
unconstitutional. According to judge John Mativo:
> [indent]<QUOTE>"The government's decision specifically targeting
> Somali refugees is an act of group persecution, illegal
> discriminatory and therefore unconstitutional."<END QUOTE>[/indent]
Dadaab was set up in 1991 to house families fleeing conflict in
neighboring Somalia, including the lawlessness and recurrent droughts.
(Recall that 1993 was the year of the famous "Black Hawk Down"
incident, where Somali militia fighters shot down two American
helicopters using rocket-propelled grenades. Mobs then hacked the
fallen pilots to death with machetes and dragged their mutilated
bodies through the streets as trophies.)
At its peak in 2012, the Dadaab refugee camp housed nearly a
half-million people. Many children had been born there and grown to
adulthood without ever leaving the camp. Since then, some Somalis
have left the camp and returned home voluntarily, and today Dadaab is
home to some 256,000 people.
A government spokesman said that Dadaab had become a haven for
al-Shabaab terrorists from Somalia, and that the court decision would
be appealed:
> [indent]<QUOTE>"The key reason for closure of the camp was that it
> had become a launch pad for various terrorist attacks by
> al-Shabaab. The camp has lost its humanitarian nature and become a
> haven for terrorism and other illegal activities.
>
> The lives of Kenyans matter. Our interest in this case, and in the
> closure of Dadaab refugee camp, remains to protect the lives of
> Kenyans.
>
> The closure of Dadaab camp has always drawn varying interest and
> opinions, both nationally and internationally however, the lives
> of Kenyans matter. It is for this reason that we shall be strongly
> appealing the decision by the High Court."<END QUOTE>[/indent]
In 2013, Kenya, Somalia and UNHCR signed a tripartite agreement that
all refugees should leave the camp and UNHCR would repatriate them all
voluntarily to Somalia by November 2016. However, the UNHCR effort
failed, and only 20,000 were repatriated.
Amnesty International called Wednesday's High Court ruling "historic":
> [indent]<QUOTE>"Today is a historic day for more than a quarter of a
> million refugees who were at risk of being forcefully returned to
> Somalia, where they would have been at serious risk of human
> rights abuses. This ruling reaffirms Kenya's constitutional and
> international legal obligation to protect people who seek safety
> from harm and persecution."<END QUOTE>[/indent]
The Star (Kenya) and BBC and AFP
Related Articles
- Kenya facing fierce criticism over closing the world's largest refugee camp (07-Jun-2016)
- Minnesota link to Kenya shopping mall attack raises U.S. fears (23-Sep-2013)
****
**** Closure of Dadaab demanded after 2015 Garissa University attack in Kenya
****
The plans for Dadaab changed dramatically in April 2015, when the
Somalia terrorist group al-Shabaab killed over 147 people, mostly
Christian students, at Garissa University College in Kenya. The
students were massacred in their dormitories. Christians were singled
out and shot dead. 79 were injured, and 587 were led to safety.
The Garissa attack had an effect on Kenya's public not unlike the
effect of the 9/11/2001 attack on Americans. Kenya announced numerous
changes to improve security, and one of them was that the Dadaab
refugee camp should be closed within three months.
The date for closure kept getting pushed back. In May of last year,
Kenya said that would close down the camp by the end of the year. In
November, the date was pushed into 2017.
The problem is that most of the refugees in Dadaab were born there and
have spent their whole lives there, so they have no place to go.
Kenya's government has tried "bribing" the refugees by offering $200
apiece to leave voluntarily. But with 260,000 refugees still
remaining in the camp today, it's pretty clear that the effort to
close the camp is failing and, according to some people, will never
succeed.
At any rate, Wednesday's High Court decision means that the attempt
will end completely, at least for the time being. The Nation (Kenya)
Related Articles
- Al-Shabaab kills 147 mostly Christian students at Garissa University College in Kenya (03-Apr-2015)
- Desperate Kenya demands closure of refugee camp after Garissa school attack (13-Apr-2015)
KEYS: Generational Dynamics, Kenya, Dadaab refugee camp, Somalia,
John Mativo, UNHCR, Garissa University College
Permanent web link to this article
Receive daily World View columns by e-mail
Contribute to Generational Dynamics via PayPal
John J. Xenakis
100 Memorial Drive Apt 8-13A
Cambridge, MA 02142
Phone: 617-864-0010
E-mail: john@GenerationalDynamics.com
Web site: http://www.GenerationalDynamics.com
Forum: http://www.gdxforum.com/forum
Subscribe to World View: http://generationaldynamics.com/subscribe
