|
Terror fear spoils conference
17/09/2003 16:56 - (SA)
Nairobi - More than 1 000 delegates will miss the 13th International Conference on Aids and Sexually Transmited Infections in Africa (Icasa), set to begin Sunday in Kenya, because of security fears, the chairperson of the meeting said on Wednesday.
"There have been allegations of insecurity in the country and some delegates from the United States have said they will not attend the conference because of that," Icasa chair Joseph Owili told a news briefing in Nairobi.
"By last week, at least 1 015 delegates had confirmed that they will not attend," Owili said.
"They are US government-sponsored delegates and the US State Department has told us that they will not allow them to come."
Last Friday, Washington extended a warning of "high potential" for terrorist attacks targeting US citizens and interests throughout east Africa, particularly Kenya.
The State Department said it believed a "credible" threat of attacks existed, and advised those planning travel to east Africa to carefully review their plans.
The conference was to bring together 8 000 local and international experts from Africa and the rest of the world to review major advances in addressing the pandemics of HIV/Aids and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in Africa.
|
News
