NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — A Kenyan court ruled Thursday that the government must not close the world’s largest refugee camp and send more than 200,000 people back to war-torn Somalia, a decision that eases pressure on Somalis who feared the camp would close by the end of May. Kenya’s internal security minister abused his power by ordering the closure of Dadaab camp, Judge John Mativo said, adding that the minister and other officials had “acted in excess and in abuse of their power, in violation of the rule of law and in contravention of their oaths of office.”

Rights groups Amnesty International, Kituo cha Sheria and the Kenyan National Commission on Human Rights had challenged the government’s order to close the camp. President Uhuru Kenyatta’s government has not proved Somalia is safe for the refugees to return, the judge said, also calling the orders to shut down the government’s refugee department “null and void.”

Somalia remains under threat of attacks from homegrown extremist group al-Shabab. Kenya has seen many gruesome terrorist attacks by the Shabab, including the 2013 Westgate shopping mall attack in the capital, Nairobi, which killed at least 67, and the 2015 attack on a university in the northern town of Garissa, which killed at least 147.
A high court in Kenya blocks a government bid to close the Dadaab refugee camp and repatriate over 260,000 Somali refugees back to Somalia. The government said it will appeal against the ruling.