US embassy in Mozambique and Bin Laden

The US embassy in Mozambique said on Tuesday that the existence of elements affiliated to Osama Bin Laden in Maputo was behind the temporary closure of the embassy.

AFP quoted a statement by the embassy as saying that the doors of the embassy were closed on Monday out of fears of attacks by Bin Laden's elements, who are accused by the US of being behind the attacks on the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania in 1998.

On Monday, the spokesman for the US State Department, James Rubin, said in Washington that the US embassy in Maputo had suspended its activities temporarily for security reasons.

The decision taken to close down the US diplomatic mission came following similar decisions that covered another six embassies in Africa which Washington viewed as possible targets for aggressions.

On June 25, the US closed down temporarily its missions in Gambia, Togo, Liberia, Madagascar, Namibia and Senegal.

Washington said that aides for Bin Laden are planning to launch attacks on these missions. All these embassies except the embassy in Madagascar reopened their doors following a three-day closure.