Faizel Patel, 2016-06-05
While the US Diplomatic Mission to South Africa says it has specific and credible information of terrorist groups planning to carry out attacks against US citizens in Johannesburg this is not the first time it has issued a caution.
The American embassy issued a warning on its website of planned imminent attacks on it citizens at shopping centres and malls.
“This information comes against the backdrop of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant’s public call for its adherents to carry out terrorist attacks globally during the upcoming month of Ramadan.”
The police have declined to comment saying only that they are aware of the statement.
The embassy’s Cynthia Harvey says their priorities is to protect it’s citizens.
“Protection of US citizens overseas is among our top priorities. When we receive specific, credible, non-counterable threat information, it is our worldwide policy for US embassies and consulates to share the information.”
Reuters reports South Africa’s foreign affairs department’s Clayson Monyela said the country’s security agencies were capable of ensuring the safety of its residents, noting that no incident or attack had taken place after the previous warning by the U.S. embassy last year.
“The last time they did this, towards the end of last year, nothing came out of that advisory.”
In September last year, the embassy issued a warning to its citizens that extremists may be targeting that country’s government facilities and business interests in South Africa of possible terror attacks saying it was triggered by “specific, credible” information.
At the time Harvey said in a statement that the embassy could not disclose more about who the threat came from or what the likely targets were.
She said that such security warnings were not a reflection on bilateral relations with other countries.
A similar warning was also issued in 2009 with the U.S. closing its embassy and consulates in Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town for several days.
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