Weeks after the US shut down embassies and consulates across South Africa for several days, local media said the closures followed a threat by a Somali group to blow up US targets in the rainbow nation and to disrupt the 2010 soccer world cup.

Although the motive behind the decision to close US embassies and consulates had been vaguely identified as a terror scare, more details were revealed this weekend. Apparently, the US authorities in South Africa had intercepted cellphone communication, detailing planned attacks on American interests in Africa’s largest economy – specifically during the FIFA soccer world cup, which is scheduled for next year. The cellphone calls were allegedly made by a group of Somalis residing in Cape Town’s township of Khayelitsha, and were made to a group in Somalia. According to media reports, the various conversations revolved around among other things the plot to blow up American interests in South Africa. The Sunday Tribune quoted sources saying that “US intelligence agents, South Africa’s National Intelligence Agency (NIA) and the police’s Crime Intelligence operatives launched a surveillance operation on the Cape-based group, gathering crucial information before the operation was thrown into disarray.” A NIA spokeswoman however, refused to comment and threatened the paper with legal action. Another source quoted by the paper said: “What has been established is that the Cape guys are linked to al-Qaeda cells in Somalia, who are connected to the group in Afghanistan. We have established that most al-Qaeda operatives are relocating from Afghanistan to Pakistan, attracted by increased lawlessness in Pakistan.” US embassy spokeswoman Sharon Hudson-Dean said: “We don’t comment on intelligence matters.”

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