Washington, Oct 28 (AFP/APP):The United States on Friday voiced appreciation over security efforts in Nigeria and South Africa, whose governments have voiced unease after Washington publicly warned of terror threats.
The United States on Thursday ordered families of US personnel to leave Nigeria’s capital Abuja and separately a day earlier warned of a potential terror attack in an upscale suburb of Johannesburg.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said the US embassy did not coordinate with his government before issuing the warning, which he said was “unfortunate” and had caused “panic” in the country.
State Department spokesman Ned Price, asked about the criticism, said the United States valued its “close relationship with our South African partners.”
“We deeply appreciate efforts that they make to protect their interests and in turn our interests,” Price said, as South Africa’s police minister promised that several weekend events would be “properly protected.”
Price similarly said that the United States was in “close contact with Nigerian authorities.”
“We appreciate the efforts of our Nigerian partners to address security threats in Abuja and across the country,” he said.
Price noted that the United States as a matter of policy sends out security alerts at the same time that it warns its own embassy personnel, considering it unfair not to provide the same information to private US citizens.
“We take our obligation to the so-called no double standard extraordinarily seriously,” Price said.
A State Department statement Thursday said the United States had ordered the departure of families as well as non-emergency personnel from Abuja, stepping up precautions after an earlier warning to US citizens.
The State Department clarified Friday that the order to leave applied only to family members and that non-essential workers were being given the choice but were not required to depart.
Details of the threat have not been released but Nigeria has been on high alert since Sunday after the United States and several other Western nations raised their travel alerts.
Nigerian security forces are battling jihadist fighters mostly in the northeast of the country, but Islamic State-allied militants have claimed several recent attacks near the capital.
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