Kenya defends Somali refugee blocking

NAIROBI, Kenya, Jan. 4 (UPI) -- Kenya is defending its action in turning back Somali refugees trying to enter the country to escape violence in their homeland.

Foreign Affairs Minister Raphael Tuju, following criticism by the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, said Somalis fleeing fighting between Ethipian-backed Transitional Government forces and the Islamist forces in their homeland should be treated as internally displaced people and given assistance within Somalia's borders, the Daily Nation reported Thursday.

Kenya, which backs the transitional government and faces a possible refugee crisis, has begun blocking Somali entry into the country along its northern border. Recently it returned about 420 newly arrived refugees from its Liboi refugee camp back.

Authorities said there is currently about 165,000 Somali refugees in camps in Kenya.

The newspaper quoted the UNHCR's acting country representative, Eddy Gedalos, as saying U.N. officials were being denied access to refugees.

"We at the U.N. are genuinely concerned the fate of women and children turned away by Kenyan authorities, as it is likely to worsen the humanitarian situation in the war-torn country. There is no reason why genuine asylum seekers should not be allowed into the country."