COMMENT: Effective June 11, 2013, the US Department of State warns US citizens of the risks of travel to Chad
and recommends citizens avoid ALL travel to eastern
Chad and border regions. Because of security
concerns, the US Embassy in Chad reviews all proposed travel by
official US
government personnel to areas outside the
capital of N'Djamena, and its immediate surroundings before approving such
arrangements.
US citizens affiliated with humanitarian
relief efforts similarly should review security precautions and consider
measures
to mitigate exposure to violent crime and other
threats. US citizens residing in Chad should exercise caution
throughout
the country.
The US Embassy in Chad operates as a fully accompanied post, meaning
minor dependents of US government employees are permitted
to travel to or accompany family members to
N'Djamena. The security situation in Chad has slowly but steadily
improved since
the conclusion of an effective peace agreement
between Sudan and Chad in early 2010. You should note, however, that
despite
recent stability, the security environment has
been historically volatile and could still deteriorate unexpectedly. The
Embassy,
therefore, strongly recommends that all US
citizens in Chad exercise caution and be prepared to implement their
personal
evacuation or safe haven plans on short notice
should the situation warrant. US citizens in Chad should closely
monitor
news media and register with the US Embassy
N'Djamena as well as monitor its website.
The
frequency of violent crime in rural Chad is highly variable. Incidents
of robbery, carjacking at gunpoint, and murder
have been reported throughout the country. While
there have been no kidnapping for ransom incidents in Chad since 2010,
regional
trends suggest this still could be a potential
threat in the future. Violence is occasionally associated with car
accidents
and other events causing injury to Chadian
nationals. Robbery victims have been beaten and killed, surgeons
conducting unsuccessful
medical interventions have been threatened with
bodily harm, and law enforcement/military officials have been implicated
in
violent crime. In addition, although the last
active rebel group was recently disarmed, armed groups might reemerge
with little
warning. The Government of Chad has few
resources to guarantee the safety of visitors in rural Chad.
For the complete text of the updated travel warning:
http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/tw/tw_5998
