Two weeks after the United States raised the security threat for visitors to Nigeria to “3rd Tier”, the US embassy in Kampala has announced that it has issued a travel alert to all visitors to Uganda.
It said the cautionary was due to increased terrorist activity within Uganda.
At the time of the Nigerian alert the United States State Department said it was instructing its embassies and consulates around the world to conduct emergency security reviews amid ongoing protests sparked by the Israel-Hamas fighting.
It said the action was needed due to increased tensions in various locations around the world which raised the potential for terrorist attacks, demonstrations or violent actions against US citizens and interests.
The US embassy this week recommended “that individuals exercise an elevated degree of caution and reconsider attendance at upcoming large public gatherings, such as large-scale worship services and music and cultural festivals in Kampala and Jinja”.
Additionally, be mindful when visiting locations where people tend to gather such as hotels, malls, and marketplaces, it said.
Uganda was one of four nations expelled from the African Growth and Opportunities Act (Agoa) earlier this month, as announced by US President Joe Biden. Agoa provides for member African countries to benefit from duty-free access to the US market for thousands of products. Gabon, Niger and the Central African Republic were also expelled for what the US said were gross violations of human rights and failure to protect the rule of law.
