State Dept. Travel Warnings and Public Announcements

For the full announcements or further detail on Travel Warnings and Public Announcements, please see http://http://travel.state.gov/

Central African Republic - On February 26 the Department of State warns U.S. citizens of the risks of traveling to the Central African Republic (CAR), and recommends against all but essential travel outside the capital, Bangui. Travelers in the CAR should exercise extreme caution. This replaces the Travel Warning of August 19, 2009, in light of the incursion of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) in eastern CAR, and uncertainty surrounding the ongoing Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration process.

Dominican Republic/Haiti - On 26 February the U.S. Embassy in Santo Domingo issued the following Warden Message: "The U.S. Embassy is transmitting the following Warden Message to alert Americans to occasional violence directed at vehicular traffic traveling to and from Haiti. "U.S. Citizens travelling to and from Haiti through the Dominican Republic have reported incidents of violence near the Haitian border on route 44 between Barahona and Jaquimeyes. Reports indicate that a group of persons attired in paramilitary clothing placed tires in the middle of the road and set them on fire to form a makeshift blockade, forcing passing vehicles to slow down or stop. Armed gunmen fired shots and threw rocks at vehicles that failed to stop for the blockade. Additionally, in at least one incident, men with guns and machetes briefly detained American citizens travelling through the area.

"The U.S. Embassy would like to remind American citizens travelling in the Dominican Republic within an hour of the Haitian border to be aware of these reports and to exercise extreme caution in possibly volatile areas. Citizens should check local news reports, U.S. Embassy Warden Messages, and travel advisories before embarking on a trip to the areas near the border with Haiti. Citizens are also reminded to travel in groups during daylight hours and use caution at all times. Drivers who encounter roadblocks are encouraged to stop a significant distance away, drive in reverse or turn around, and drive to the nearest town to report the blockade to local authorities. Drivers should do their best to leave the danger zone and get to safety. ..."

Eritrea - On 2 March the U.S. Department of State issued an updated Travel Warning for Eritrea, which reads as follows: "The U.S. Department of State continues to warn U.S. citizens of the risks of travel to Eritrea and recommends that U.S. citizens defer all travel there because of Eritrean government restrictions on travel outside the capital city of Asmara an increased number of U.S. citizens arrested without clear justification, and heightened tensions along Eritrea's borders with Ethiopia and Djibouti. This replaces the Travel Warning dated August 28, 2009. "The Eritrean government continues to restrict the travel of all foreign nationals, including resident diplomats. These restrictions require all visitors and residents to apply 10 days in advance for permission to travel outside the Asmara city limits. As a result, the U.S. Embassy cannot provide emergency consular assistance outside of Asmara.

"There also have been an increased number of Eritrean-U.S. dual citizens arrested without apparent cause. Once arrested, detainees may be held for extended periods without being told the purpose of their incarceration. Conditions are harsh - those incarcerated may be held in very small quarters without access to restrooms, bedding, food or clean water. The Eritrean government does not inform the U.S. Embassy when U.S. citizens, including those who are not dual nationals, have been arrested or detained. "U.S. citizens are also cautioned to be aware of anti-U.S. sentiment among Eritrean nationals since UN sanctions were imposed on Eritrea in December 2009. There have been no specific incidents of violence targeting Americans, but anti-UN sanction demonstrations against the United States have occurred. We remind U.S. citizens that even demonstrations intended to be peaceful can turn confrontational and escalate into violence. U.S. citizens are therefore urged to avoid demonstrations, and to exercise caution if within proximity of any demonstrations. U.S. citizens should stay current with media coverage of local events and be aware of their surroundings at all times.

"U.S. citizens are strongly advised to avoid travel near the Eritrean-Ethiopian border and to the Southern Red Sea region, including the port of Assab. "U.S. citizens considering travel within Eritrea should be aware of the presence of large numbers of Eritrean and Ethiopian troops along the Eritrean-Ethiopian border, and acute political tensions between the two countries. In March 2008, Eritrean restrictions on diesel fuel supplies caused the United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea's detachments to withdraw from the Temporary Security Zone, leaving no international observers monitoring the border. Skirmishes between troops of both countries resulted in fatalities in January and February of 2010. "Since April 2008, Djiboutian and Eritrean troops have been deployed along the Eritrea-Djibouti border. The Djiboutian government claims Eritrean troops have crossed into its territory and on June 10, 2008, Djiboutian and Eritrean troops exchanged fire along their shared border."

Haiti - - On March 2 the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince issued the following Warden Message: "The U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince advises U.S. citizens of its plans to conclude by March 31, 2010, efforts to recover and repatriate remains of U.S. citizens killed in the January 12 earthquake. Since January 12, the Embassy and other USG personnel have investigated reports of death of American citizens and have recovered, identified, and repatriated the remains to the United States in accordance with the wishes of family members of the deceased.

"The inter-agency team carrying out these operations will conclude its work by March 31, 2010. Cases of U.S. citizens killed in the earthquake that come to the Embassy's attention after that date will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis. Any cases of U.S. citizens killed in the January 12 earthquake that have not previously been reported to the Embassy should be brought to the attention of the Consular Section as soon as possible. Reports of deceased American citizens should be provided to the Consular Section by email at ACSPaP@state.gov or by telephone at 509-2229-8000. Callers in the United States or Canada with information about an American citizen who died in the earthquake may reach the Haiti Task Force at 888-407-4747. Outside of the United States or Canada, call 202-501-4444. For further information and updates, please see the State Department's Consular Affairs website at travel.state.gov.