Travel Warning: Central African Republic

Consular Affairs Bulletins

Sub-Saharan Africa - Central African Republic
20 Apr 2006

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The Bureau of Consular Affairs issued the following Travel Warning on April 20, 2006:

This Travel Warning is being re-issued to provide U.S. citizens with updated security information on the Central African Republic (CAR). It supersedes the Travel Warning for the CAR issued April 19, 2005.

The Department of State warns Americans to use extreme caution when traveling in the CAR, and to avoid travel outside the capital unless absolutely necessary. U.S. citizens who remain in the CAR despite this Travel Warning are urged to exercise caution at all times, particularly at public gatherings.

In Bangui, tensions are high due to unpaid civil servant salaries and skirmishes between government forces and opposition groups. There are approximately 300 peacekeeping troops from neighboring member countries of the Economic and Monetary Union of Central Africa (CEMAC) that move in and out of the capital. CAR security forces, sometimes with French military assistance, staff checkpoints throughout the city. Some crimes are perpetrated by uniformed CAR security and military personnel. Two World Health Organization physicians were murdered by unidentified assailants on the outskirts of Bangui in April 2006.

Outside the capital many areas are lawless and rebel groups are active in the western, northern, northeastern, and southeastern provinces. The U.S. Embassy advises its personnel to take a CAR military escort when traveling outside the capital, particularly near the borders with Chad and Cameroon. The country held peaceful elections in March 2005, but the country's economic and security situations have not improved markedly. The rebels wish to overthrow the constitutionally elected president and seek new elections.

The U.S. Embassy in Bangui has a single American officer and can provide only limited emergency services to U.S. citizens.

U.S. citizens in the CAR are strongly urged to register on the State Department's web site at https://travelregistration.state.gov. Americans without Internet access may register directly with the U.S. Embassy in Bangui. By registering, American citizens make it easier for the Embassy to contact them in case of emergency.

The U.S. Embassy in the CAR is located at Avenue David Dacko, B.P. 924, Bangui; tel. (236) 61-02-00; fax (236) 61-44-94. For additional information on safety and security in the CAR, contact the Consular Section of the U.S. Embassy in Yaounde, Cameroon, at telephone (237) 223-4014, (237) 223-0512, or 223-0581; fax (237) 223-0753; web site http://yaounde.usembassy.gov. Americans may also obtain updated information from the American Embassy in N'djamena, Chad, at telephone (235) 51-70-09, 51-92-33 or 51-90-52; fax (235) 51-56-54; web site http://ndjamena.usembassy.gov.

U.S. citizens should also consult the Department of State's most recent Consular Information Sheet for Central African Republic and the Worldwide Caution Public Announcement, which are located on the Department's web site at http://travel.state.gov. Up-to-date information on safety and security is also available at 1-888-407-4747 toll free in the U.S. and Canada, or for callers from other countries, on a regular toll-line at 1-202-501-4444. These numbers are available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).