WINDHOEK – All Namibians in Kenya are reportedly safe following a terrorist attack on non-Muslims in an upmarket Nairobi neigbourhood, Namibia’s Foreign Affairs Minister Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah said on Sunday.
The attack, which ended in the taking of hostages entered a third day yesterday, with Kenyan as well as Israeli security forces locked in a fierce, final battle with Somali Islamist gunmen inside the upmarket mall as huge explosions and a barrage of heavy gunfire echoed from the complex. The 50-hour-long siege has seen the gunmen massacre at least 62 people and take dozens more hostage. Somalia’s Al-Qaeda-linked al Shabaab insurgents have claimed responsibility for the attack, which began midday on Saturday, when the gunmen marched into the complex, partly owned by Israeli nationals, tossing grenades and firing automatic weapons sending panicked shoppers fleeing. Speaking from New York on Sunday afternoon Nandi-Ndaitwah said no Namibian was reported to be a victim of the attack so far, according to information she received from the Namibian High Commissioner to Tanzania, Joseph Isaack, who also covers Kenya. Yesterday a thick cloud of black smoke billowed from the Westgate Mall as Kenyan officials said they are closing in on the terrorists and were about to end the siege. Interior Minister Joseph Ole Lenku said ‘a few’ people were still being held hostage. “Our disciplined forces have been extremely careful to find the balance between neutralising the attackers and getting as many people to safety as possible,” he added.
Sheikh Ali Mohamud Rage, the spokesman for al Shabaab, which has demanded Kenya pull its troops out of neighbouring Somalia, warned they would kill hostages if Kenyan security forces, who are being assisted by Western and Israeli experts, tried to storm their positions. “Israelis and Kenyan forces have tried to enter Westgate by force but they could not. The mujahideen will kill the hostages if the enemies use force,” the spokesperson said in an audio statement posted online. Nandi-Ndaitwah condemned the attack, saying it is unacceptable to target innocent people. “Any act which targets the lives of people is unacceptable. People should learn how to solve problems without involving the loss of innocent lives,” said Nandi-Ndaitwah, adding that killing is not the way to handle political differences. “We hope no further attacks or victims will be reported,” she indicated. The attack in the mall took place on International Peace Day, which is celebrated annually on September 21. Additional Reporting by Nampa/Reuters/AFP
By Staff Reporter