Kenya: Gunmen kidnap NGO worker in Kilifi county Nov. 20

Event

Unidentified armed men attacked the town of Chakama (Kilifi county) on Tuesday, November 20 and abducted an Italian national working for an NGO in the area. At least five other people were shot and wounded. The identity of the assailants as well as the motives behind the attack remain unclear. Some local sources suspect the Somali militant group Al-Shabaab of being behind the attack. As of November 22, the whereabouts of the victim remains unknown. Further such attacks are possible in the near-term.

Context

Al-Shabaab continues to regularly carry out attacks near the porous border with Somalia as well as in coastal areas in retaliation for Kenya's participation in a multi-national force fighting Al-Shabaab in Somalia since 2011. Chakama is located about 300 km (185 mi) southwest of the Somali border, and 60 km (40 mi) from the coastal tourist resort of Malindi.

Advice

Due to various security concerns, many Western governments advise against travel to a number of regions in the country, including areas bordering Somalia (parts of Garissa, Mandera, Wajir, and Lamu counties), Ethiopia, and South Sudan. Nonessential travel to the city of Mombasa and several Nairobi neighborhoods (including Eastleigh and Pangani) is also advised against.