Marza Mamdouth - African Leaders Must Invest in Refugees

By Benedicta Gyimaah Folley

Cairo — African countries hosting asylum seekers have been advised to invest in displaced people to enable them to be more resilient in the country they reside in.

Dr Marza Mamdouth, a political researcher in African Politics, made the call on Monday when he addressed the 53rd African Journalist training in Cairo, organised by the Union of African Journalists (UAJ) and the Ministry of Information, Egypt.

"Some form of capacity building and skills can be afforded to them to unlock the potentials in them and also tap into their skills and knowledge because not all displaced persons are a burden to the host countries.

"Some war victims are professionals and academicians who have flee their country for fear of their lives and will need a little investment in their lives to gain financial freedom.

"Other countries can learn from Uganda,Ethiopia and Ghana which host 500,000, 750,000 and 13,000 refugees respectively who are well incorporated in their national development drive," Dr Mamdouth stressed.

While appealing for the use of disarmament strategy and embracing dialogue she noted that African Union leaders should address legal gaps that contribute to the challenges of handling asylum seekers suspected to have committed crimes.

Dr Mamdouth observed that studies had shown that suspects of crimes against humanity during wars in some countries such as Rwanda, Somalia, Mozambique fled to other countries where they also engage in criminal activities making it difficult for host countries to deal with them because they are defended by international laws.

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