Central African Republic Travel Security

Despite the signing of peace agreements with two rebel groups in 2007, the political and security situation in Central African Republic remains unstable, and the government still does not fully control the countryside, where areas of lawlessness persist.

According to a March 2008 U.N. report, the main threat to security in the country now lies with criminal gangs who kill, kidnap for ransom, loot and set fire to homes particularly in the north of the country. The gangs are well-organized, well connected and in large part foreign, traveling across the porous borders with Chad and Cameroon and even from as far away as Nigeria and Niger.

That and a continuing general risk of banditry outside the capital are the main reasons for the country's risk rating of 8. Most Western governments warn against nonessential travel to Central African Republic. Register and maintain contact with your nearest embassy or consulate.

High-risk Areas

Areas outside Bangui are considerably more hazardous than the capital itself. Despite the 2007 cease-fires, northern and western areas near the borders with Chad and Cameroon remain particularly dangerous; bandits and rebels from Chad and the Darfur region of Sudan have set ambushes and attacked villages in the region. This includes main roads between Berberati, Bouar, Bozoum and Paoua.

The borders with Sudan and DR Congo also present security risks. The border with Sudan is closed.

In recent years, Central African Republic has been the scene of one government takeover after another. President Ange-Felix Patasse, who was elected democratically in 1993 and re-elected in 1999, had weathered numerous coup attempts. However, in March 2003, forces loyal to Gen. Francois Bozize, former chief of the defense staff, attacked Bangui and seized power. Patasse was attending a conference in Niger at the time and subsequently fled to Togo. Bozize proclaimed himself president, suspended the constitution, dissolved the National Assembly and established a transitional 28-member government, called the National Transition Council, which included representatives of all political parties.

In July 2004, the Council accepted a new constitution; it substantially restored the 1995 version, with some changes that included shifting powers from the president to the prime minister. It also fixed the presidential mandate at five years, renewable only once.

In a December 2004 national referendum, the electorate endorsed the new constitution, setting the stage for the March 2005 presidential election. Bozize won the vote but fell short of the 50% requirement needed to avoid a runoff. Subsequently, with about 65% of the vote, he won the second round in May 2005. About 300 national and international observers oversaw the polling.

Central African Republic is one of the world's poorest and least developed countries. In 2007 it was ranked near the bottom of the U.N. World Development Index, at 171 out of 177 countries measured. Unemployment is about 80%, and most of the population depends on subsistence farming.

The country is rich in mineral deposits, but violent turmoil and political instability have made it impossible to make use of those resources. In the more than 40 years since independence, the country has made little progress toward economic development because of such constraints as its landlocked location, a poor transportation system, a largely unskilled workforce and a legacy of mismanaged economic policies. Growth in gross domestic product was only 4% in 2007.

The country is highly dependent on funds from donors. France has always been the biggest bilateral donor. Relations with all donors were very poor in the later years of the Patasse regime, and there was a significant buildup of unpaid arrears on donor loans. Relations have since improved.

In 2006, the country signed its second IMF Emergency Post-Conflict Assistance Loan. The government hopes to start negotiations with the IMF for a Poverty Reduction and Growth facility program. The European Union has formally restarted project aid, but disbursement has been minimal so far.

Strikes against the government by civil workers and students are common. The government historically has paid civil servants, even the military, very slowly or sometimes not at all.

Rebel insurgencies

According to the United Nations, fighting in recent years in northwestern Central African Republic between various rebel groups and the military has caused numerous deaths and the displacement of nearly 300,000 people.

In January 2006, hundreds of people died when a rebel group called the Popular Army for the Restoration of Democracy and the Republic attacked the town of Paoua, about 250 mi/400 km from Bangui, stealing ammunition from the army base. The town is also used by international aid agencies as a hub for distributing food and other supplies to the thousands of people forced from their homes by the violence.

Violence worsened in late 2006 as a spreading cycle of conflict from Chad and Sudan's Darfur region engulfed the northern border zone. Bands of rebels or armed bandits frequently raided villages and settlements in the area, stocking up on food and other supplies and looting whatever valuables they could find. These gangs reportedly included supporters of former President Patasse, as well as Chadian mercenaries who helped Bozize overthrow him but then became disaffected.

In February 2007, after suffering major casualties in another attack on Paoua, the group agreed to a cease-fire, and scores of rebels have since given themselves up.

Nevertheless, dissident rebel elements have continued with their attacks on civilians, looting and kidnapping in villages throughout the region. In June 2007, a French volunteer with the aid group Doctors Without Borders was shot and killed near Paoua. She was traveling from her base to assess sanitary conditions after attacks by rebel and army troops in May 2007. The U.N. temporarily suspended humanitarian operations in the area, as well as plans to open a bureau in the town.

In March 2008, a woman was killed in a similar incident when gunmen fired on an ambulance belonging to the same aid group. Such incidents highlight the continuing insecurity in the country.

Another rebel group, the Union of Democratic Forces for Unity, which had refused the earlier cease-fire, signed a peace deal with the government in April 2007.

Border and regional issues

In September 2007, the U.N. Security Council approved a 3,700-strong multidimensional peacekeeping force for both northeastern Central African Republic and eastern Chad to protect civilians in their regions bordering Darfur.

The aim of the peacekeepers, made up of European Union troops and U.N. police, is to end cross-border incursions into villages and refugee camps by foreign fighters and bandits. The Central African Republic element of the force arrived in March 2008 and is based at Birao, in the far northeast of the country; it is scheduled to stay for one year.

In southeastern Central African Republic, there have been reports of kidnappings carried out by members of the Lord's Resistance Army, which has waged a brutal campaign against the government in Uganda for years.

In March 2008, reports emerged that the LRA's leader, the notorious Joseph Kony, had moved his camp across the border into Central African Republic, in violation of a cease-fire agreement between the LRA and Uganda's government. Aid groups say more than 100 people were abducted in the area; some were later freed, but reportedly the women and girls had been sexually assaulted.

Religious and sectarian issues

Central African Republic is a predominantly Christian country, with Muslims a minority in many areas. Muslims are often referred to as "foreigners," with the assumption that they are from the country's northern neighbors Chad and Sudan.

In March 2007, four people died in a gunbattle apparently set off by a dispute between Muslims and Christians in the Adramane neighborhood of Sibut, a town of about 30,000 some 115 mi/185 km north of Bangui. Tensions had been high in the area since a group of Christians reportedly killed cows belonging to the Muslim community.

Civil unrest

Through 2007 and early 2008, there were a number of strikes and demonstrations linked to nonpayment of salaries to government workers. Authorities sometimes respond violently to demonstrations.

In January 2007, police fired into a group of 60 rioting street vendors who were facing off against the officers in a commercial area of Bangui. At least one person was killed. There were demonstrations in Bangui in February 2007 following the death of two young men in the Kilometer Cinq region.

Register with your embassy immediately upon arrival. Monitor local media for updates on the situation in the country and avoid all demonstrations or other large public gatherings, especially if they appear political in nature. If violence or rioting breaks out near your location, attempt to go to your consulate. If you can't get to the consulate, return to your hotel or take shelter in a large public building such as a hotel, museum, hospital or department store, then contact the consulate by phone. Avoid government buildings and police stations, which may serve as a focus for public anger. In your hotel, resist the temptation to watch unrest--stay away from windows and keep the drapes closed.

Human-rights abuses

Trials of those accused of supporting coups have not followed due process, and there have been concerns about the use of summary justice by security forces. There are also concerns about reports of militias operating beyond the law and numerous human-rights abuses against the general population.

Restrictions are placed on freedom of speech and of the press.

Abuse and trafficking of children, child prostitution, violence and discrimination against women, as well as female genital mutilation, continue to be practiced.

Land mines and unexploded ordnance

There's reason to believe that land mines have been placed in border areas, but the U.N. has not reported any casualties from land mines in Central African Republic.

In destinations with areas that have been contaminated with land mines or unexploded ordnance, never pick up any unidentified metal or plastic object. Report any finds to local authorities. Exercise caution around construction areas, as mines or ordnance could be uncovered during excavation. Travelers should be accompanied or briefed by guides familiar with mined areas. To the extent possible, remain on well-traveled roads, tracks and paths. Under no circumstances should you enter an area marked as mined.

Central African Republic suffers from a high level of crime.

Petty crime

Street crime in downtown Bangui, though uncommon, does occur. The KM5 market is notorious and should be avoided. Dress down, avoid carrying valuables and don't walk about alone at night. Avoid isolated and low-income areas in towns and cities.

Violent crime

The line between rebels and bandits is blurred, and both are responsible for much of the violent crime reported. Also, the general population has access to a large number of firearms, despite a national disarmament and arms-collection program. Armed gangs operate in outlying residential areas, although police anticrime efforts have reduced this problem.

Armed highway robbery, with occasionally fatal consequences, remains common despite increased military presence along highways.

Robberies are most frequent during the dry season, December-May, and most occur along the borders with Cameroon, Chad and Sudan.

Police effectiveness

Increased patrols reportedly have had a positive effect on security within Bangui. However, police forces are poorly trained, understaffed and lacking in resources such as vehicles and basic equipment. Crime victims may be required to pay for transporting police officers to the scene of an incident.

The rainy season runs May-October. During those months, flash floods are common, and many roads may be impassable.

Sanitation is poor, and many medicines are not available. Take your own properly labeled supplies. Strikes by government workers regularly affect medical services and hospitals.

Medical facilities

Medical facilities are very limited, and acute care is unreliable.

Emergency care

Insurance coverage for medical evacuation by air ambulance is strongly recommended.

Diseases

Outbreaks of meningitis are common during the six-month dry season that starts in December, especially in the country's north.

Waterborne diseases are endemic, and the presence of bilharzia makes swimming unsafe.

Malaria is endemic, and HIV/AIDS is prevalent.

Mosquitoes carry many serious illnesses, including dengue fever, malaria and West Nile virus. To prevent bites and avoid infection, reduce the amount of exposed skin by wearing long sleeves, long pants, socks and shoes when you're outdoors. Use insect repellent containing deet on exposed skin. Avoid outdoor activities from dusk to dawn, the time when mosquitoes are most active.

Waterborne diseases can cause a variety of serious health problems, including cholera, norovirus and amebiasis. In areas where chlorinated water is not available or where hygiene and sanitation are generally poor, you should consider both liquid water and ice unsafe. Stick to the following, which generally are considered safe: Beverages made with boiled water, such as tea and coffee; canned or bottled carbonated beverages; beer; and wine. It's usually safer to drink beverages directly from the bottle or can, but be sure to wipe off any water on the outside of the container. In areas where water may be contaminated, avoid brushing your teeth with tap water.

Additional information

Food purchased from local street vendors may not meet adequate hygiene standards.

Travel anywhere outside the capital is hazardous. Because of armed attacks on motorists in the central, eastern and northern regions, overland travel in these areas without a military escort should be avoided.

Nevertheless, escorted road convoys have not been exempt from attacks. Seek local advice before traveling anywhere outside Bangui and avoid travel after dark.

Road conditions

Most remote areas in the country that are frequented by eco-tourists and hunters are accessible only with four-wheel-drive vehicles. Fuel shortages are common, so carry a reserve supply. Some roads are impassable during the rainy season, May-October.

Air travel

Domestic air service is provided only by charter flights.

Additional information

Avoid riverboat travel, as vessels are notoriously unreliable and usually heavily overloaded. Dozens of people drowned in August 2005 when a boat that had an official maximum capacity of 80 passengers sank on the Oubangui River while carrying some 150 people.

Facilities for travelers are limited. Bangui and Berberati are the only cities in which money can be changed. Credit cards and traveler's checks are accepted only in major hotels in Bangui. Telephone service is available but not necessarily reliable. One company has begun providing Internet service.

No matter how safe you perceive a destination to be, it's important to use good judgment.

• Pay attention to local media.
• Avoid open displays of wealth, jewelry or other valuables. Safeguard travel documents such as passports and airline tickets.
• Avoid confrontations with locals.
• Avoid demonstrations and protests, especially if they appear political in nature.
• Don't permit people you don't know to enter your accommodations. Keep your door locked. Don't leave valuables in your room unless they can be locked in a safe.
• Avoid illegal drugs, and don't drink alcohol if its use is prohibited. Even if drinking is legal, don't overindulge.
• Be cautious of unsolicited offers of assistance from strangers.

In recent years, political terrorism has become a global phenomenon - an attack could occur with little warning anywhere in the world, even in destinations long regarded as safe. Travelers should keep themselves informed of developments that could affect their safety, no matter what their destination.