Kenya to close Dadaab, world's biggest refugee camp

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) - Kenya's interior minister says the government will close Dadaab refugee camp which has hundreds of thousands of Somali refugees and is often referred to as the world's largest refugee camp.

Joseph Nkaissery said Wednesday that Daadab camp compromises Kenya's security because it harbors Somalia's al-Shabab Islamic extremists and is a conduit for smuggling weapons. He said al-Shabab planned three large-scale attacks from Daadab, which hosts more than 328,000 refugees, mainly from Somalia.

Last week the Kenyan government announced it intends to close Daadab and Kakuma, a refugee camp housing 190,000 people, mostly South Sudanese fleeing civil war. But on Wednesday Nkaissery said Kakuma will not be closed because it does not present a security risk.

The U.N. has urged Kenya to reconsider its decision to close Dadaab camp.