Kenya: Aid workers killed in mine explosion in Garissa June 6

Event

On Tuesday, June 6, four Kenyan aid workers were killed when their vehicle hit a mine in Garissa county (northeast) near the Dadaab refugee camp. The vehicle was owned by African Development Solutions. The organization’s northeastern regional coordinator, Mohamud Saleh, stated that Al-Shabaab militants are suspected of planting the mine.

In the past three weeks, at least 34 people have been killed in similar explosions. Analysts believe the use of mines may be a new Al-Shabaab tactic.

Context

Al-Shabaab regularly carries out attacks in Kenya’s northeast, near the porous border with Somalia where the group is based, as well as coastal areas popular with tourists and the capital Nairobi. The militant group has been effectively at war with the country since Kenyan forces engaged in the international fight against the terrorist group beginning in October 2011. Al-Shabaab, which seeks to topple Somalia's government and impose its own harsh interpretation of Sharia law, says it will continue to attack Kenya until Nairobi withdraws its troops from the African Union peacekeeping mission in Somalia (AMISOM).

Advice

Individuals in Kenya are advised to report any suspicious objects or behavior to the relevant authorities and be particularly cautious when visiting sites deemed particularly likely to be targeted in an attack (government buildings, places of worship, tourist sites, etc.). Due to these and other security concerns, many Western governments advise against travel to a number of regions in the country, including areas bordering Somalia (parts of Mandera, Wajir, Garissa, and Lamu counties), Ethiopia, and South Sudan, as well as nonessential travel to the city of Mombasa. Several Nairobi neighborhoods, including Eastleigh and Pangani, are also best avoided.