Refugees to start repatriating to Somaliland

A first batch of Somali refugees will return from Djibouti to Somaliland on Saturday, the UN refugee agency UNHCR announced on Wednesday. It said these first voluntary repatriations were taking place after "long negotiations" between the Djibouti and Somaliland authorities. About 14,000 refugees - out of a total of 21,700 - have registered to return. Some 2,300 will be repatriated, in convoys of 250 people, until the end of July when the operation will be suspended because of the heat, UNHCR spokesman Jonathan Clayton told IRIN. It will resume when the weather improves. "We are delighted with the start of the voluntary repatriations from Djibouti," added Simone Wolken, the UNHCR head for Somalia. "After so many problems in the past years, this marks the beginning of the end of yet another protracted refugee situation in the Horn of Africa, along with the ongoing return of Eritrean refugees from Sudan and Somali refugees from Ethiopia," she said. "This is another milestone in enabling refugees, who have spent years in exile, to take part in reconstruction and peace-building at home," she stated. "We are particularly encouraged by the support and commitment of the authorities in Djibouti and Somaliland to help this operation move forward." The refugees, who have been away from their country for over 10 years, will be returning from the camps of Ali-Adde and Hol Hol close to the border with Somaliland. "The decision to go back followed a visit to Somaliland by refugee representatives to assess the situation," Clayton said. "This demonstrates how encouraging peace and stability back home is for refugees who have been in exile for years."