Somaliland says ready to welcome Afghan refugees
A view of Hargeisa (illustrative image).
MOHAMED ABDIWAHAB / AFP
Text by: RFI Follow
2 min
After Uganda this week, it is Somaliland's turn to open its doors to refugees from Afghanistan.
Since the Taliban took power on August 15, tens of thousands have sought to leave the country.
The United States has appealed to the international community to temporarily host Afghan nationals who are still on military bases in other countries, such as Qatar.
Somaliland, a self-proclaimed independent territory, announced on Friday August 27 that it had responded to the American request.
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With our correspondent in Nairobi,
Albane Thirouard
For the moment, it is an agreement "in principle".
The self-proclaimed Republic of Somaliland has expressed its readiness to welcome Afghan refugees, but only for a transitional period.
The time needed to organize the transit of these refugees to other host countries, such as the United States.
Discussions
Discussions are in fact underway with American officials, a spokesperson for the Somaliland Foreign Ministry told AFP, specifying that the agreement is at a preliminary stage, that no details on the technical modalities or dates of 'arrivals have yet to be fixed.
The number of refugees concerned is not yet known either.
Somaliland already hosts several thousand refugees, mainly from Ethiopia, Yemen and Syria.
By now opening its borders to Afghans, Hargeisa is following in Kampala's footsteps, which has already hosted 51 refugees in transit.
Position yourself on the international scene
It is also an opportunity for Somaliland to position itself on the international scene.
Because the region, self-declared independent of Somalia in 1991, is not officially recognized.
Mogadishu considers it to be part of its territory.
Although Hargeisa has its own government and organizes its own elections.
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To read also:
Turkey does not want to become a "hub" for Afghan migrants wanting to reach the West
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Somaliland
Afghanistan
Refugees
Diplomacy