Photo credit: New York Times
With the recent developments in Syria, including the ousting of the Assad Family regime that brutally ruled the country for five decades, some Syrian refugees residing in Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu, are hopeful for a safer future in Syria.
VOA reports that since the Syrian civil war broke out over a decade ago, Syrians have fled to countries in the Middle East and Europe, as well as to African countries that have been grappling with instability.
Many Syrian refugees found themselves in Somalia, which is itself a war-torn country in the Horn of Africa. Somalia has faced terrorist attacks, piracy, and humanitarian crises.
On Wednesday, dozens of Syrian refugees in the capital staged a demonstration marked with emotional speeches to celebrate the fall of Assad’s regime.
They held placards reading, “We want to go home” and “Syria awaits us.” The demonstration expressed their longing for peace and stability in their homeland.
Hussein Hikman, a refugee from Damascus, said, “We are victorious because of the free Syrian army. Those in control (Syrian rebels) now are God-abiding people, not the ousted and strayed al-Assad. Herd, Somalis welcomed us and supported us, but we will go back to our country.”
Ali AL-Zahir, who fled from Aleppo, said he lost his wife and three children in the Syrian war. He arrived in Mogadishu hoping to keep his two surviving children safe.
He said, “I am your brother from Aleppo, a city that suffered at the hands of al-Assad and his predator regime. Syria is free today, and free soldiers control it. I swear to God I want to return to my country.”
Another Syrian refugee, Khadija Mohamed, sells perfumes and rusbah, prayer beads used in Islamic practices, in Mogadishu. Even though she is hopeful about returning to Syria, she acknowledges the challenges her impoverished family faces.
Mohamed said, “The situation in Syria is good. Bashar al-Assad is gone, and now Syria is in safe hands. I have lived in Somalia for two years with my husband and kids. We want to return, but our current situation does not allow us to do so.”
Somali officials who spoke at the demonstrations have acknowledged the refugees’ wishes and they were working with international organizations to assess the situation in Syria and facilitate safe return.
