US warns of credible terrorist threat against American installations in DR Congo

The US Embassy in the Democratic Republic of Congo has claimed to have received “credible and specific” information about a potential terrorist threat against American installations in the capital of the Central African country.

The security alert issued Saturday by the American Embassy in Kinshasa, however, did not elaborate on the details, calling on US citizens in the impoverished country to keep a low profile, US-based CBS News reported.

The embassy further urged Americans living throughout DR Congo to "maintain a heightened level of vigilance and practice good situational awareness." 

The report also cited the US State Department as stating that security in parts of the African nation "remains unstable due to the activities of rebel and other armed groups and ongoing military operations." 

The security alert was issued just a day after Congo's two leading opposition parties declared that they were joining forces to campaign for the country’s next presidential election -- originally planned for next month but reportedly likely to be postponed to April 2019 – to replace President Joseph Kabila.

Top two candidates, Felix Tshisekedi and Vital Kamerhe, have united and called on other opposition parties to rally behind them. However, other opposition parties had already reached an agreement to support yet another candidate, Martin Fayulu.

The eastern DRC has been troubled for decades by inter-ethnic bloodshed and militia violence, a crisis that has escalated this year.

PressTV-UN concerned about fighting in eastern DR Congo

The UN has sounded the alarm over fighting in eastern DR Congo, warning that violence could hamper next month's elections.

The city of Beni, home to up to 300,000 people, is under threat from the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a shadowy armed group rooted in Ugandan extremism that has killed hundreds of people since 2014.

The region is also battling an Ebola outbreak that has left more than 200 dead.

The US has maintained diplomatic ties with DR Congo since 1960, following its independence from Belgium, which colonized the country in 1908. In recent decades, US spy agency CIA has been involved in Congo -- particularly in its bid to assassinate the country’s first Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba – and eventually blamed for his murder.

Even prior to the independence of the nation, Washington attempted to facilitate the election of a pro-western government by identifying and supporting individual pro-US leaders. The CIA was also notably involved in a campaign against Lumumba's successor, which led to his eventual imprisonment and long exile from Congo. 

DR Congo is the second largest African country by area and is reportedly one of the most mineral rich across the globe. It produces many of the world's minerals, such as 75 percent of the world's cobalt and 70 percent of the diamonds. It also produces valuable agriculture, such as coffee, palm oil, and cotton. 

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