Somalia reacts to Trump’s #MuslimBan: “It’s draconian and unjust”

Abdisalam H Omar during the Addis Ababa summit. He termed the Trump Muslim ban “unjust” and “draconian” Photo/COURTESY

MUGADISHU—The Somali government has reacted to Friday’s US presidential executive order that banned nationals from seven Muslim majority countries for 90 days as part of his campaign promise.

Speaking to Al jazeera English, the foreign Affairs minister in the federal Somali government Abdisalam Hadliye Omar termed the law “draconian” and “unjust”, saying such measures should not be practiced in modern democracy like the US.

“Such laws are draconian and unjust in every sense of the word,” Abdislam said after he took part in the election of the next person to lead the African Union at the Ethiopian capital during African Union special summit at the headquarters in Addid Ababa.

The head of the African Union, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma said on Monday that a U.S. travel ban on seven Muslim-majority countries including three in Africa heralded “turbulent times” for the continent.

At least 300 Somali refugees are stuck in Nairobi as the US president Donald Trump’s “Muslim ban” executive order takes effect.

The United Nation’s refugee agency, UNHCR has cancelled the flights of the 300 Somali refugees after the US embassy in Nairobi notified the agency of the latest ban.

“My brother, his wife and their four daughters are stuck in Nairobi for the third day,” Mohamed Warsame, a relative to one of the affected refugees told Kulan Post at their apartment in South C, Nairobi.

“They came all the way from Daadab refugee camp to catch a flight to Minnesota in the US on Monday, “he added.

Like Mohamed’s brother, hundreds of Somalis walk to the UNHCR headquarters in Nairobi as part of their resettlement process that could take years to complete and Friday’s Muslim Ban could deal a blow to their long held hope of re-uniting with their family members in the US.

On Sunday, the UNHCR returned a number of refugees, mostly women and children to the Dadaab refugee camp disappointed and hoping the US president would budge in his decision.