The US government has issued warnings over threats of a terrorist attack in Goma, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, where armed violence has raged for months.
The US Embassy in Kinshasa said in a security update on Thursday that there was a higher danger of a terrorist attack, disturbance, armed conflict, or kidnapping in Goma, the capital of North Kivu.
There is a “potential of attack on an unnamed ferry departing from Goma, North Kivu province,” according to the embassy’s security agency in the DRC.
“Be wary; avoid crowds and demonstrations; stay alert in regions frequented by travelers, especially westerners; be mindful of your surroundings,” the warning continued.
Because of “criminality” and the “potential of terrorist attack,” it recommended US nationals not to travel to Goma.
Six individuals were killed in a bomb assault in the Katindo military camp in the heart of Goma city on April 8, 2022. In the volcanic city, several more incidences of urban crime are often reported.
Meanwhile, on Wednesday May 11 , News Central reported that an attack in the eastern DRC’s Ituri province claimed the lives of at least 14 civilians, including children. The incident occurred on Monday near the town of Fataki, at a displaced persons’ camp.
It is believed that the CODECO Militia are responsible for the attack.
They are considered one of the deadliest militias operating in the east of the country, blamed for a number of ethnic massacres.
Several bomb attacks were carried out in North Kivu province in 2021, including a suicide bomber strike in Beni on December 25 that killed five persons.
