The global economic downturn hindered recovery, then terror attacks by the Islamic extremist group al-Shabaab began to escalate in 2011. Al-Shabaab struck Mombasa several times and along the coast to the city’s north, prompting strict travel warnings from Western governments.
The U.S. and U.K. lifted travel bans for government staff last year, but the U.S. State Department continued to preach caution in a new warning in 2015, citing “potential terrorist threats aimed at U.S., Western and Kenyan interests.”
To counter the rise of al-Shabaab, Kenyan authorities launched aggressive counterterrorism operations in Muslim communities. The cycle of attacks and government retaliation have created new waves of fear around#Diani, as many in the tourism industry here say that Kenyan Christians are now wary of becoming targets on the coast.#
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