BY ADOW MOHAMED
Saturday, April 26, 2014
THE Somalia parliament is set to debate a motion seeking to ban miraa imported from Kenya. Kenya exports about three million kilogrammes of miraa to Somalia annually.
The motion was filed by an MP who lives in Nairobi after the parliament was ‘angered’ by the ongoing swoop in Kenya that has led to the deportation of hundreds of Somalis. A local media outlet said majority of MPs have supported the motion. The MP declined to be named for fear of victimisation.
Most Somalia MPs reside in Kenya and occasionally fly to Mogadishu for house sessions. “Somalia must be respected as an important trade partner to Kenya. Its citizens must be respected too,” said the MP. He said Somalis have found themselves unwelcome in the country where they have sought refuge. “Claims of terror links are unsubstantiated.”