Sudan ? The U.S. Embassy warned Americans on Monday of a heightened terrorist threat against Westerners in Sudan.

“The U.S. Embassy advises all U.S. citizens in Sudan that the United Nations mission in Sudan has received new information that an extremist group based in the country is likely to target Western interests,” it said.

The U.S. message followed a similar warning that the United Nations sent its staff in Sudan last week.

U.S. Embassy spokesman Joel Maybury noted there is anger among some Sudanese against the U.N. mission in Sudan, which is promoting the peace process in the south of the country as well as running humanitarian operations in the conflict-ridden region of Darfur in western Sudan.

The United Nations says it has 10,000 peacekeepers in southern Sudan and about 2,500 civilian staff in the whole country.

The U.S. message warned of the danger of bombings, kidnappings and assassinations. It said the primary target of the threat might be the United Nations, but added that “terrorists do not distinguish between official and civilian targets.”