The Right to Respond A Somali Response to Mr. Abucar Sa’id Abucar [Archives:2001/13/Law & Diplomacy]

Dear Editor,
With reference to the topic of the Somali Benadir Refugees in your esteemed Newspaper Vol. XI. Issue No, 11 dated Monday 12th march, 2001 by Mr. Abucar Sa’id Abucar who named himself as the leader of the Benadir Community in Yemen. We would like to draw your attention and that of all the Somali Community in Yemen including Benadir, and other brother Somalians to the fact that Mr. Abucar Sa’id Abucar is not the leader for the Benadir Community in Yemen. There is no person who can represent them and speak on behalf of these people.
Firstly: The Somali peoples are all brothers and live together in the country of Somalia. There are many tribes and clans and Benadir is just one of the communities which suffered violence rape, robbery during the civil war in Somalia by the armies of the factions. And we take this opportunity to remind Mr. Abucar that the Benadir Community has Parliament members and officials in the Transitional Government of Somalia, which has been elected in Arta, Djibouti.
Secondly, the views mentioned in the article, which Mr. Abucar is complaining, to the UNHCR offices in Yemen are only his own and it do not reflect the concerns of all Benadirs.
Thirdly, concerning the figures, we remind Mr. Abucar that he has no authentic figures about the Somali Refugees in the Republic of Yemen. He does not have relevant statistics, such as how many have been repatriated, or how many left Yemen to other countries, etc. . Also beyond the figure of 51,623 of Somali refugees, does he know that there are more than that figure which have been registered during the months of August-September, of 1999? Individuals which still have not been granted the Refugee Identity Card and, to this date, are waiting at the UNHCR office in Yemen. It is these cards which will facilitate many things for them, and allow them to stay in Yemen? Since then, more refugees have come to Yemen. Obviously the number is more than what is mentioned.
Fourthly, I want to remind Mr. Abucar that the Benadir community is part of, and cannot be separated from, the Somali Community as a whole, although there are different tribes, clans and etc. I recommend that Mr. Abucar not stick only on the subject of resettlement, as this is his own personal thinking. Not only do the Benadir Refugees want resettlement, some want repatriation, some want integration into the country, etc. And he has no right to force his idea on others who may have different ideas. Repatriation, resettlement and integration into the country l is the policy and task of the UNHCR and of the hosting country, depending on the facilities available.
We conclude our article by repeating that Mr. Abucar is not the Leader of the Benadir Community in Yemen, and no one has elected him. What he mentioned in his article are his own personal ideas and should not to be considered to represent of the community. We hereby apologize to the UNHCR offices in Yemen for what Mr. Abucar complained about.
Best regards,
Mr. Mohammed Ali Abucar – Banadir Community
Mr. Cali Haji Sheikh – Banadir Community,
Mr. Mohamed Munganl – Banadir Community,
C/O. P. O. Box 10923, Sana’a – Yemen

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