Security Message for U.S. Citizens: Security Reminder
U.S. Embassy Addis Ababa, Ethiopia |
December 7, 2014
The U.S. Embassy informs U.S. citizens that political rallies or
demonstrations may occur without significant notice throughout Ethiopia,
particularly in the lead up to Ethiopian national elections in May 2015.
Such rallies and demonstrations may be organized by any party or group and
can occur in any open space throughout the country. In Addis Ababa,
applications for permits to conduct rallies are often requested for Meskel
Square or Bel Air Field. Please remember that even public rallies or
demonstrations intended to be peaceful have the potential to turn
confrontational and escalate into violence. You should, therefore, stay
alert and avoid areas of demonstrations, and exercise caution if in the
vicinity of any large gatherings, protests, or demonstrations.
The U.S. Embassy reminds U.S. citizens of the on-going threat of terrorist
attacks in Ethiopia. U.S. citizens are reminded and encouraged to maintain
heightened personal security awareness. Be especially vigilant in areas that
are potential targets for attacks, particularly areas where U.S. and western
citizens congregate, including restaurants, hotels, bars, places of worship,
supermarkets, and shopping malls. Al-Shabaab may have plans for a potential
attack targeting Westerners and the Ethiopian government, particularly in
Jijiga and Dolo Odo in the Somali Region of Ethiopia, and Addis Ababa.
Attacks may occur without warning.
Due to serious safety and security concerns, U.S. government personnel and
their families are presently restricted from traveling to the following
areas except as permitted on a case-by-case basis:
Ethiopian/Kenyan Border (Southern Ethiopia): In southern Ethiopia along the
Kenyan border, banditry and incidents involving ethnic conflicts are common.
Security around the town of Moyale is unpredictable, and clashes between
Ethiopian forces and the Oromia Liberation Front (OLF) have been reported.
Ethiopia/Eritrea Border (Northern Ethiopia): Ethiopia and Eritrea signed a
peace agreement in December 2000 that ended their border war. However, the
border remains disputed. The border area is a militarized zone where there
is the possibility of armed conflict between Ethiopian and Eritrean forces.
U.S. government personnel are restricted from travel north of the Shire
(Inda Silassie)-Axum-Adigrat road in the Tigray region of Ethiopia.
Personnel are further restricted from travel north of the road from Dessie
through Semera to the Galafi border crossing with Djibouti, including the
Danakil Depression and the Erta Ale volcano. In January 2012, a group of
foreign tourists were attacked near the Erta Ale volcano in the Afar region
near the Eritrean border, approximately 100 miles southeast of Adigrat in
the Danakil Depression. The attack resulted in five deaths, three wounded,
and four people kidnapped. The victims were European and Ethiopian citizens.
The two Europeans who were kidnapped were subsequently released. On February
15, 2012, Ethiopia, which blamed Eritrea for the attack, retaliated by
striking military camps in Eritrea where the attackers were allegedly
trained. This episode illustrates the continuing volatility of the border
area.
Somali Region (Eastern Ethiopia): Travel to Ethiopia's Somali regional state
is restricted for U.S. government employees, although essential travel to
the region is permitted on a case-by-case basis. Since the mid-1990's,
members of the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) have conducted
attacks on civilian targets in parts of the Somali regional state,
particularly in predominantly Ogadeni zones. Expatriates have been killed in
these attacks. In 2010, the Government of Ethiopia initiated peace talks
with the ONLF, which are ongoing. Despite these talks, incidents of violence
continue to occur. Throughout 2013, skirmishes between the ONLF and regional
government security forces took place. Some of these incidents involved
local civilians. Al-Shabaab maintains a presence in Somali towns near the
Ethiopian border, presenting a risk of cross-border attacks targeting
foreigners.
Gambella Region (Western Ethiopia): Sporadic inter-ethnic clashes are a
concern throughout the Gambella region of western Ethiopia. While the
security situation in the town of Gambella is generally calm, it remains
unpredictable throughout the rest of the region. Intensified conflict
between Sudan and the Republic of South Sudan (RSS) has significantly
increased refugee flows into Western Ethiopia. Travel to the border areas in
the Beneshangul-Gumuz Region (Asosa) is restricted to major towns north of
the area where the Great Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) is being
constructed due to political sensitivity.
We strongly recommend that U.S. citizens traveling to or residing in
Ethiopia enroll in the Department of State's <
https://step.state.gov/step/>
Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP). STEP enrollment gives you the
latest security updates, and makes it easier for the U.S. embassy or nearest
U.S. consulate to contact you in an emergency. If you don't have Internet
access, enroll directly with the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate.
Regularly monitor the <
http://www.travel.state.gov/> State Department's
website, where you can find current
<
http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/english/alertswarnings.html>
Travel Warnings,
<
http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/english/alertswarnings.html>
Travel Alerts, and the
<
http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/english/alertswarnings/worldw%20i
de-caution.html> Worldwide Caution. Read the Country Specific Information
for
<
http://www.travel.state.gov/content/passports/english/country/ethiopia.html
> Ethiopia. For additional information, refer to the
<
http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/english/go.html> "Traveler's
Checklist" n the State Department's website.
Contact the U.S. embassy or consulate for up-to-date information on travel
restrictions. You can also call 1-888-407-4747 toll-free in the United
States and Canada or 1-202-501-4444 from other countries. These numbers are
available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday
(except U.S. federal holidays). Follow us on
<
http://www.twitter.com/travelgov> Twitter and
<
http://www.facebook.com/travelgov> Facebook to have travel information at
your fingertips.
The U.S. Embassy in <
http://ethiopia.usembassy.gov/> Addis Ababa is located
at Entoto Street, P.O. Box 1014. The Consular Section of the Embassy may be
reached by telephone: +251-111-306000 or e-mail at
<mailto:consacs_at_state.gov> consacs_at_state.gov, and is open Monday-Thursday,
7:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m. For after-hours emergencies, U.S. citizens should call
+251-111-306911 or 011-130-6000 and ask to speak with the duty officer.
Received on Sun Dec 07 2014 - 04:42:37 EST