Washington D.C. – Congressman Eliot Engel, the senior Democratic Member on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, released the following statement on the terrorist attack at a shopping mall in Nairobi, Kenya.

“I condemn in the strongest possible terms the tragic violence that erupted at a Kenyan shopping mall in Nairobi over the weekend and send my condolences to the people of Kenya who are struggling to cope with this senseless bloodshed. This horrific attack at the hands of Somalia-based al-Shabab terrorists serves to remind us that for all the political and military progress that has been made in recent years in the Horn of Africa region, there are still those who are committed to sowing the seeds of violence and instability. The ongoing hostage situation in Nairobi should reinforce the notion that we cannot underestimate al-Shabab or forget that they continue to be a threat to peace and stability throughout the Horn of Africa. We must continue to support international and regional efforts to stabilize neighboring Somalia and put an end to the al-Shabab terrorist menace."