US advises its citizens to reconsider travel to Uganda
Police put out a fire following a terror attack in Kampala last month. PHOTO / COURTESY
What you need to know:
- The advisory came a day after the US sanctioned the Chief of Military Intelligence, Maj Gen Abel Kandiho, accusing him of superintending over violation of the rights of political opponents of the government.
The United States of America has issued a security advisory, urging its nationals to reconsider travelling to Uganda over crime and security related threats.
In the travel advisory issued yesterday, the US upgraded the threats to level III, which is the second highest.
“Reconsider travel to Uganda due to crime and terrorism,” the US travel alert read in part.
The advisory came a day after the US sanctioned the Chief of Military Intelligence, Maj Gen Abel Kandiho, accusing him of superintending over violation of the rights of political opponents of the government.
The Ugandan army has also just started operations in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo in pursuit of the Allied Democratic Forces rebels, who they accuse of carrying out four terror attacks in Kampala and on Masaka Road that left nine people dead last month.
“Terrorist groups active in Uganda have claimed responsibility for recent bombings in and near Kampala. While the attacks do not appear to have targeted foreigners, anyone can be a victim of acts of violence,” reads the US advisory.
“Violent crime such as armed robbery, home invasion, and sexual assault, can occur at any time, especially in larger cities, including Kampala and Entebbe. Local police may lack appropriate resources to respond effectively to serious crime,” it adds.
The US alerts are taken seriously by other countries given the country’s intelligence capabilities. The US Embassy often updates its travel advisory depending on the safety levels.
This could have an impact on Uganda’s tourism sector, with many foreigners expected to come to Uganda for the Christmas holiday.
Police spokesperson Fred Enanga said they aren’t aware of any specific threats in the country. But he said they will reach out to the US Embassy to get details of the advisory. “Most of those security advisories are general in nature. If you get an alert, it calls for better response and vigilance and intelligence against the threat,” he said.
Growing Trend
In October, the United Kingdom and France issued terror alerts on Uganda. Weeks later, terrorists attacked a pork joint in Komamboga, Kawempe Division, Kampala City. Three other terror attacks followed.
