NEW YORK, United States of America, May 24, 2016/APO (African Press Organization)/ —
The Secretary-General met yesterday with H.E. William Ruto, Deputy President of the Republic of Kenya. They exchanged views on the main peace, security and humanitarian challenges facing the region, including recent developments in Somalia, South Sudan and Burundi. They also discussed the assistance of the United Nations to regional efforts aimed at addressing these challenges.
The Secretary-General expressed his concern about the intention of the Kenyan Government to end the hosting of refugees in Dadaab citing economic, security and environmental burdens. He recognized the extraordinary humanitarian role Kenya has played over the years as one of the world’s foremost refugee hosting countries, but pointed to the potentially devastating consequences of prematurely ending refugee hosting for hundreds of thousands of people. The Secretary-General noted the upcoming visits of the Deputy-Secretary General and the High Commissioner for Refugees to Kenya which will provide another opportunity to further engage on this issue.
The Deputy President and the Secretary-General also exchanged views on current developments in Kenya including preparations for the 2017 elections. The Secretary-General underscored the need for a peaceful election process with full respect for human rights.
Istanbul, 23 May 2016
