World's largest refugee camp scapegoated in wake of Garissa attack

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/apr/14/kenya-garissa-dadaab-scapegoat-al-shabaab

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After the terrorist attack on Garissa University in which 147 students were killed Kenya’s government has found a scapegoat. Three hundred and fifty thousand scapegoats, in fact.

On Saturday, the country’s deputy president William Ruto issued an ultimatum to the UN. He told the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to shut down Dadaab refugee camp near the border with Somalia within three months, or else Kenya would shut it down itself.

Officials have claimed that Dadaab is where al-Shabaab plans its acts of terror, such as Garissa and the 2013 Westgate Mall attack, and must be shut down.

‘The way America changed after 9/11 is the way Kenya will change’

“We have asked the UNHCR to relocate the refugees in three months, failure to which we shall relocate them ourselves,” said Ruto. “The way America changed after 9/11 is the way Kenya will change after Garissa… We must secure this country at whatever cost.”

A quarter of a century old, Dadaab is the world’s largest refugee camp, home to mostly Somali refugees who have fled famine, violence, and persecution in their home countries. The UNHCR estimates that “more than 350,000” people currently live there.

Life isn’t easy in Dadaab. Jobs are scarce, food is minimal and healthcare is basic. But it’s also a safe haven, and its existence is celebrated as one of modern Kenya’s finest accomplishments.

We have asked the UNHCR to relocate the refugees in three months, failure to which we shall relocate them ourselves

“That Dadaab has been able to provide refuge for so many years and to so many people is thanks first and foremost to the government and people of Kenya,” said a UNHCR spokesperson.

But that track record could abruptly come to an end.

‘Kenya is scapegoating refugees’

Some fear that by this analogy Ruto means Kenya will prioritise internal security over human rights and civil liberties, suggesting the country will disregard its obligations under international law to house and protect refugees.

“The victims of the horrific attack in Garissa deserve justice which won’t be served by unlawfully forcing almost half a million Somali refugees back home to face a real risk to their lives and freedom,” said Leslie Lefkow, deputy Africa director at Human Rights Watch.

“Instead of scapegoating refugees, Kenya is legally obliged to protect them until it is safe for them to return, and should identify and prosecute those responsible for the killings in Garissa.”

Closing Dadaab is easier said than done, however. The camp’s size and its longevity mean that it can’t simply be packed up. Where will all the people go? What if refugees refuse to leave? Who will pay for the relocation operation?

The UN​ has so far simply ignored the public demands for Dadaab’s closure

The logistical challenges alone are near-insurmountable; the political challenges might be even harder.

In November 2013, following the Westgate Mall attack, Kenya’s then-interior minister Joseph Ole Lenku called for Dadaab to be closed immediately.

“All the camps should be closed, and the time for debate on whether or not it is appropriate has been passed,” he said.

Asman Kamama, an MP and head of the parliamentary committee on national security, reaffirmed this position: “That camp has become a nursery for terrorists. The UN must now understand the security of Kenyans comes first. Even if it is about human rights, it should not be at our expense.”

Fighting talk, but talk was as far as it got. The UN has so far simply ignored the public demands for Dadaab’s closure, only commenting to praise Kenya’s commitment to refugees.

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The UN has yet to receive any official communication on the subject. Although Kenya is eager to prove itself in the fight against terrorism while the country is still mourning the the victims of the attack, the government also needs to find someone to blame, other than its own poor national security system.

For now, Dadaab’s refugee population – voiceless in Kenyan society, and unable to defend itself – makes for 350,000 convenient scapegoats.