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."
Fatima Mohamed, another refugee, shared a cautious outlook.
"The situation in Syria is improving, and many places are free," she said. "It is not entirely stable yet. We hear that some of the Syrian prisoners arrested by the Assad regime are still in underground jails," she added, pointing out that conditions would need to be less volatile for her to consider returning home.
Like Fatima Mohamed, many Syrian refugees remain cautious despite their longing to return home.
Somali officials who spoke at the demonstrations have acknowledged the refugees' wishes and said they were working with international organizations to assess the situation in Syria and facilitate safe returns.
There is no official data on the number of Syrian refugees living in Somalia, but officials estimate it to be in the thousands.
Syrians who found refuge in Somalia said the two countries' history of amicable relations drove them.
The Syrians say Somalis' friendliness toward refugees and Somalia's lack of visa restrictions also drew them to Mogadishu and other major cities in the country.
In return, the Syrian refugees, which include doctors, nurses, engineers, chefs, technicians, and teachers among their ranks, have enriched Somalia culturally and economically because of the knowledge and skillsets they brought with them.
This story originated in VOA's Somali Service.
