US renews east Africa warning
2005-09-25 09:38
Nairobi - The United States has renewed its terrorism warning for east Africa, alerting US citizens to possible extremist attacks and piracy in the region and along its coast where a spate of ship hijackings have been reported.
Less than three months before its last such advisory, issued on July 1, was set to expire, the US state department on Friday re-released a regional terrorism alert for east Africa, noting in particular the increased threat of maritime piracy.
The department said it had re-issued the warning "to remind Americans of the continuing potential for terrorist actions against US citizens in east Africa, particularly along the east African coast and to note the dangers of maritime piracy near the Horn of Africa and the southern Red Sea near Yemen."
Although the language in Friday's public announcement was nearly identical to that in earlier warnings - advising Americans that supporters of Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda network and other extremist groups are active in east Africa - it added commercial shipping to the list of potential terrorist targets.
"Terrorist actions may include suicide operations, bombings, kidnappings or targeting maritime vessels," it said, adding that US citizens should review "carefully" any plans to travel to east Africa.
The US alert was issued as authorities in Somalia's breakaway region of Somaliland said on Friday they had arrested after a lengthy gun battle an "internationally known" al-Qaeda operative and several followers.
The men were allegedly in the region to organise attacks on local leaders and foreigners ahead of Somaliland elections scheduled for next week, according to officials in the capital of Hargeisa.
The new US advisory also came as a UN-chartered food aid vessel, hijacked in pirate infested waters off the coast of Somalia nearly three months ago, remained in the hands of gunmen with no sign of its imminent release.
That hijacking was the highest profile incident in a series of increasingly violent attempts to seize commercial ships off the coast of lawless Somalia, which intelligence agencies fear has become a haven for groups such as al-Qaeda.
"Americans considering seaborne travel near the Horn of Africa or in the southern Red Sea should exercise extreme caution, as there have been several incidents of armed attacks and robberies at sea by unknown pirates in the last year," the state department said.
In its weekly piracy report issued on Tuesday, the International Maritime Bureau said at least 21 attacks had been recorded off the Somali coast since March 15 and urged ships in the area to stay as far as possible from the shore.