DRC SAYS TERROR THREAT AGAINST US IN KINSHASA IS SERIOUS
KINSHASA - Democratic Republic of Congo's government for the first time says it is taking seriously the terror threat against US government facilities that has closed the US Embassy in Kinshasa all week.
Foreign Minister Leonard She Okitunu told reporters that "we have serious information" about the threat but it is too early to give details. He said everything has been done to make sure the threat is not carried out.
A US security alert on November 24 said the US Embassy had received "credible and specific information of a possible terrorist threat against US government facilities in Kinshasa."
DRC, unlike several countries across Africa, is not plagued by extremist attacks, though some observers have expressed concern about possible terror links to the Allied Democratic Forces rebel group active in the nation's northeast.
Meanwhile, The United States wants better ties with Eritrea following this month's lifting of UN sanctions against the Horn of Africa nation, Washington's top Africa diplomat said at the weekend.
The UN Security Council sanctioned Eritrea in 2009 for supporting Al-Shabaab militants in Somalia but lifted the restrictions following the July signing of a peace deal that ended 20 years of conflict with neighbouring Ethiopia.
Relations between Washington and Eritrea have long been frosty but US Assistant Secretary of State Tibor Nagy told journalists ahead of a trip to the capital Asmara that he hopes that will change.
"We would like to have the same type of positive relations with Eritrea as we do with Ethiopia," a key ally Nagy said during a visit to its capital Addis Ababa.