Garissa University College attack

== Background ==
Garissa, in the [[North Eastern Province (Kenya)|North Eastern Province]] around 200&nbsp;km from the border with Somalia, was considered "one of the safest spots in the region." It housed both military barracks and police headquarters.<ref name=CSM1>{{cite news |last=Zirulnick |first=Ariel |title=Kenya university attack puts security capabilities under fresh scrutiny (+video) |url=http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Africa/2015/0402/Kenya-university-attack-puts-security-capabilities-under-fresh-scrutiny-video |access-date=3 April 2015 |agency=Christian Science Monitor |archive-date=9 February 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170209200856/http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Africa/2015/0402/Kenya-university-attack-puts-security-capabilities-under-fresh-scrutiny-video |url-status=live }}</ref> Al-Shabaab, a multi-ethnic militant group based in Somalia with links to [[Al-Qaeda]], had killed over 200 people in Kenya in the two years prior to the event, in attacks like the [[Westgate shopping mall attack|2013 Westgate shopping mall shooting]]. These attacks significantly affected [[Tourism in Kenya|Kenya's tourism industry]],<ref name = Reuters1 /> although prior to Al-Shabaab's existence, the [[2002 Mombasa attacks]] also targeted tourists. Previously, many of the militant group's attacks were outside major urban population centers.<ref name=CSM1 />

Diplomats and analysts had also criticized the Kenyan security forces' policing strategy, which they described as heavy-handed and which involved indiscriminate mass arrests of resident Somalis. They further warned that such sweeping tactics would only result in creating resentment among Muslims, thereby providing Al-Shabaab with an opportunity to capitalize on the situation.<ref name = "Karidaaou">{{cite news |title=Kenya Arrests Five in Deadly al Shabaab Attack on University |url=http://www.newsweek.com/five-arrested-kenya-al-shabaab-attack-319666 |access-date=4 April 2015 |agency=Reuters |date=4 April 2015 |archive-date=4 April 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150404210043/http://www.newsweek.com/five-arrested-kenya-al-shabaab-attack-319666 |url-status=live }}</ref>

It was reported that there had been "high-profile warnings about a threat to a major university" prior to the attack.<ref name=CSM1 /> Grace Kai, a student at a nearby college, said that "strangers had been spotted in Garissa town and were suspected to be terrorists", and then "on Monday [30 March 2015] our college principal told us… that strangers had been spotted in our college"; on Tuesday, while the college closed and sent its students home, the university which remained open was attacked.<ref name=Reuters1>{{cite web |last=Honan |first=Edith |title=Al Shabaab storms Kenyan university, 14 killed |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-kenya-security-college-idUSKBN0MT0CK20150402 |publisher=[[Reuters]] |access-date=2 April 2015 |archive-date=25 January 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160125151726/http://www.reuters.com/article/us-kenya-security-college-idUSKBN0MT0CK20150402 |url-status=live }}</ref>

The attack came a day after the Kenyan President [[Uhuru Kenyatta]] had chastised the United Kingdom and Australia for renewing their travel warnings over security threats in Kenya,<ref name="Karidaaou"/> and accused them of perpetuating [[colonialism]].<ref name= "Posl">{{cite news |title=Pull out of Somalia: Leaders |url=http://www.nation.co.ke/news/Pull-out-of-Somalia-Leaders/-/1056/2676424/-/nchk13z/-/ |access-date=5 April 2015 |agency=Daily Nation |date=4 April 2015 |archive-date=4 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304052527/http://www.nation.co.ke/news/Pull-out-of-Somalia-Leaders/-/1056/2676424/-/nchk13z/-/ |url-status=live }}</ref>