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SUMMARY:
- France - Yellow vest protests continue
- Africa - Congo, Nigeria and Tunisia
- Europe - Spain Security Alert
- United States - Government shutdown
Securely Travel Brief – 28 December 2018
Today’s travel brief is culled from global travel warnings and alerts.
France - Yellow vest protests continue
The U.S. State Department has issued a Security Alert with respect to the continued Yellow Vest protests.
“Demonstrations by the “Gilets Jaunes” (yellow vests) are expected again on December 29, 2018and may also impact New Year’s Eve celebrations on December 31. The group is protesting fuel prices and taxes, and other government policies. Previous demonstrations have become violent with police response including water cannons and/or tear gas. In addition to the demonstrations in major cities, organizers continue to call for traffic interruptions and blockades throughout France. At highway toll stations, protesters have set up barricades and set fire to pallets.”
Africa - Congo, Nigeria and Tunisia
- Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC or Congo) elections have been scheduled for 30 December. Unrest is expected as detailed in our alert of 22 December 2018. The opposition candidate is ahead in pre-election polls as of 28 December 2018. The EU Ambassador has been expelled. And Ebola treatment centers have been stormed.
- Nigeria - Travel to the Lake Chad region should be avoided. Boko Haram insurgents have overrun two military outposts in the area of the fishing town of Baga. Government’s ability to respond to an emergency are limited.
- Tunisia - Civil unrest continues in the capitol, Tunis, following the self-immolation suicide of a photojournalist earlier this week.
Europe - Security Alerts
The U.S. Department of State has issued security alerts concerning the possibility of terrorist attacks in Europe during the end-of-year holiday celebrations. Specific reference has been made to Barcelona, Spain, a previous location which saw a vehicular attack along Las Ramblas - we commend to your attention our post re the “3 Things to Consider if Caught in a Car Ramming Attack”
United States - Government Shut Down
The U.S. government has is in a reduced operations mode which has placed the majority of government services on hold. Those which may affect travel of U.S. citizens include:
- Transportation Security Agency - The TSA will continue to man the security checkpoints and process travelers.
- U.S. Embassy and Consulates - Services will continue to be provided, both at the U.S. passport offices in the U.S. and citizen services abroad.
