The Department of State warns U.S. citizens to defer travel to Burundi due to the uncertain security situation within Burundi and the surrounding Great Lakes region.

On the evening of December 4, 2000, two people were injured when a passenger flight was fired upon and hit by machine gun rounds as it was landing at Bujumbura's International Airport. Earlier that same day, a rebel faction released a press statement warning foreigners to leave Burundi for their safety.

Burundi has been involved in a civil war since 1993. Fighting can be intense and has increasingly involved attacks on the capital, Bujumbura. On October 12, 1999, two expatriate employees of United Nations organizations were shot execution-style during an ambush in Muzye, Rutana Province. On November 23, 1999, a hand grenade was thrown into the central market in downtown Bujumbura, killing five and injuring 14 others.

Extremist groups are active throughout the Great Lakes region, and some have committed or threatened violence against U.S. citizens and interests. One such extremist group that operates out of northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DROC) specifically targeted and killed U.S. citizens in March 1999 in southwestern Uganda. Several international non-governmental organizations have been targeted and robbed by armed assailants in their offices, on the road, and in their homes.

The U.S. Embassy operates with a reduced staff and restricts U.S. Government personnel from traveling outside Bujumbura, the capital, due to unpredictable incidents of violence throughout Burundi. As a result of the ongoing conflict, U.S. Government personnel's travel in Bujumbura may be limited based on most recent information of Embassy's security officer. In addition, family members are prohibited from accompanying U.S. Government employees assigned to Burundi. Given the increased possibility of attacks at the airport during darkness or hours of curfew, U.S. Government personnel are strictly prohibited from flying to and from Burundi during those times.

U.S. citizens in Burundi should establish and maintain contact with the U.S. Embassy and consider their own personal security in determining whether to remain in the country.

The Government of Burundi maintains a curfew for Bujumbura, currently from midnight to 5 a.m. The U.S. Embassy maintains a curfew for its staff, currently from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. (Please note that the curfew changes from time to time due to changing security conditions. Contact the U.S. Embassy for the most up-to-date curfew information.)

For further information, please consult the Department of State's latest Consular Information Sheet on Burundi, which is available at Internet address http://travel.state.gov.

This replaces the Travel Warning dated January 20, 2000, to note the increase in violence in Burundi.

Consular Information Sheets and Travel Warnings