Saturday, December 28

Syrian refugees in Somalia hope to return home

 

Syrian refugees in Mogadishu, Somalia, stage a demonstration Dec. 11, 2024, to celebrate the fall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime. (Seynab Abukar/VOA)

MOGADISHU, SOMALIA/WASHINGTON —

Expressing a renewed desire to return to their homeland, some Syrian refugees residing Somalia\’s capital, Mogadishu, are hopeful that recent developments, including the ousting of the Assad family regime that brutally ruled Syria for 53 years, might signal a safer future in Syria.

Since the Syrian civil war broke out more than 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, a war-torn nation in the Horn of Africa that has faced terrorist attacks, piracy and humanitarian crises.

On Wednesday, dozens of Syrian refugees in Mogadishu staged a demonstration marked with emotional speeches to celebrate the fall of President Bashar al-Assad\’s regime.

Holding placards that read "We want to go home" and "Syria awaits us," the demonstrators expressed their longing for peace and stability in their homeland.

Some of them shared their stories with VOA.

"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," said Hussein Hikmat, a refugee from Damascus. "Here, Somalis welcomed us and supported us, but we will go back to our country."

Ali Al-Zahir, who fled from Aleppo, Syria\’s largest city, lost his wife and three children in the Syrian war. He arrived in Mogadishu in hopes of keeping his two surviving children safe.

"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," he said, in tears, reflecting on his deep desire to reunite with his homeland.

Syrian refugee Khadija Mohamed sells perfumes and tusbah, prayer beads used in Islamic practices, in Mogadishu. While she is hopeful about returning to Syria, she acknowledges the challenges her impoverished family faces.

"The situation in Syria is good. Bashar al-Assad is gone, and now Syria is in safe hands," Mohamed said. "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."








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Syrian refugees tell of hardship in Somalia




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