NAIROBI, Kenya
Chinese government has issued
an unusual security notice to its nationals in Kenya citing heightened risk from
geopolitical and local issues. Chinese Ambassador to Kenya Zhou Pingjian
Through an advisory seen by our
correspondent, the embassy warns Chinese in Kenya to pay attention to safety
because in recent times, Kenya’s domestic security situation has become more
uncertain given the global developments.
“The Consular Department of
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Chinese Embassy in Kenya reminds
Chinese citizens in Kenya to pay close attention to the local security
situation, strengthen their own safety precautions, try to avoid going to areas
where foreign tourists gather and crowded places,” the advisory, translated
from Chinese, says in part.
It further adds that the
Chinese in Kenya should be cautious when traveling to Mandera, Wajir, Garissa
and Lamu counties and other Kenyan border areas.
The security advisory comes at
a time there has been an increase in terror attacks in Lamu and Northern Kenya
counties, some targeting security officers, including the Kenya Defence Forces.
In September, unspecified number of KDF officers were killed and others injured
after a suspected Al Shabaab attack in Lamu.
KDF spokesperson Brig Zipporah
Kioko said the soldiers were patrolling the Milimani-Baure Road when their
vehicle hit an IED planted by suspected Al Shabaab militants.
Earlier in June, five people
were killed when armed militants attacked two villages in Lamu county,
Salama and Juhudi.
In July, suspected Al Shabaab
militants wounded at least eight soldiers during an ambush on a Special
Operations Group unit camped near Ogorwen, Mandera county.
Last year in March, at least
five people were killed by suspected al-Shabaab militants at a construction
site in Bodhei Majengo area, Lamu County, where a Chinese national was briefly
detained by the attackers before being released.
Defence Cabinet Secretary Aden
Duale has, however, declared that the resurgence of terrorist attacks will be
defeated.
Speaking during a thanksgiving
ceremony in Isiolo County last month, Duale said security teams along the
border and in Somalia are hunting down terrorists and their cells in our
country.
“We will deal with terror
cells and financiers within and outside our country,” he said.
On October 18, CS Duale held
talks at the Ministry of Defence headquarters in Mogadishu, where they agreed
with his counterpart Abdikadir Mohamed Nur to strengthen military cooperation
between the two countries.
On the same day, he also met
Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud , Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre and
the senior officials from the Somali Defence Forces and discussed the security
situation of the region and areas of cooperation in the fight against terrorism
and violent extremism.
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