Jubbaland authorities and UN agree to form Joint Committee on Dadaab Camp returnees

Authorities in southern Somalia, the United Nations and other key international partners have agreed to form a joint committee to address the humanitarian needs of returnees from the Dadaab refugee camp in Kenya.

The Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Somalia Peter de Clercq led a delegation consisting of representatives of UN agencies, the World Bank and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation  have met with Jubbaland’s second deputy President Abdulkadir Haji Mohamud-Luga Dhere to discuss the reintegration of returnees.

Late lastt Month, Jubbaland blocked Somali refugees returning from Kenya saying the refugees do not get the humanitarian support they need once they reach major cities thought the State rescinded the move days later.

The meeting also addressed durable solutions for internally displaced persons living in Kismaayo town.

Speaking after the meeting, Mr. Peter de Clercq said Jubbaland agreed with UN the resettlement of the Somali returnees and pave the way for interaction and integration between the hosting community and the newcomers.

“We just spent a very important mission here, to discuss with the Jubbaland authorities the return and reintegration of refugees from Dadaab, but at the same time, also durable solutions that include the internally displaced persons, as well as the host communities that have to bear the burden of these big challenges that are coming at them. We have had very good discussions,” said Mr. de Clercq.

Mr. de Clercq pledge that UN will  continued co-operation with Jubbaland State over the repatriation and reintegration of displaced persons

“we will have continued co-operation.We will have a coordination committee that will be based here in Kismaayo, where we will discuss concrete programmes that we will go to the donors with,  to increase our co-operation with Jubbaland authorities, to increase activities around the reintegration of displaced persons and of refugees,” he underscored.

Earlier this month, Jubbaland held back its earlier decision to block inflow of refugees from Kenya over what it termed earlier as lack of support from signatories of the 2013 Tripartite Agreement on refugee repatriation.