Cablegate: Country Clearance Request for Ms. Cilia de Cock

VZCZCXYZ0001
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHAB #0955/01 2370914
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 250914Z AUG 06
FM AMEMBASSY ABIDJAN
TO AMEMBASSY ACCRA 0608

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABIDJAN 000955

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: IV
SUBJECT: COUNTRY CLEARANCE REQUEST FOR MS. CILIA DE COCK

REF: ACCRA 1923

1. Post warmly welcomes the visit of Ms. Cilia De Cock and
grants country clearance for travel to Abidjan from
AUGUST 29, 2006 TO SEPTEMBER 02, 2006.

2. The purpose of the trip is to visit cashew processors in
the southern parts of Cote d'Ivoire (OLAM in Dimbokro) and to
participate in the Cashew Conference with ARECA in
Yamoussoukro.

3. Post point of contact for the visit is Erfana Dar,
Economic Officer, (225) 22.49.4602, cell (225) 05.07.53.10

4. Other pertinent information:

Crime Threat: Criminal activity constitutes the
major security threat for Americans in Cote
d'Ivoire. However, amidst the current crisis, the
possibility of American citizens becoming caught
up in any renewed violence in Abidjan cannot be
ruled out. The most common types of violent
crimes are armed robberies and carjackings.
Although the police and gendarmes are very aware
of the critical nature of the crime problem in
Cote d'Ivoire, a lack of resources and training
often keeps them from being able to deter crimes
or apprehend those responsible for committing
criminal acts.

Political Violence/Terrorism: Cote d'Ivoire's threat
rating for international terrorism is currently high,
while the threat rating for political violence is
critical. Employees are warned that, while there is no
measurable anti-American sentiment in Cote d'Ivoire,
there are communities within the country that are
sympathetic to the causes of certain terrorist groups
operating in other parts of the world. The more
immediate concern, however, relates to the political
situation in Cote d'Ivoire. Cote d'Ivoire experienced
a military coup in December 1999 and major incidents of
political unrest since 1999 include three attempted
coups, the most recent occurring on September 19, 2002.
The last coup attempt also involved a major military
mutiny and divided the country into two sections. The
southern portion of the country remains under regular
government forces' control, while the central and
northern portions are under control of the former rebel
movement. In early November 2004 Ivorian
government forces launched aerial attacks in cities in
northern Cote d'Ivoire, resulting in several deaths,
including nine French soldiers and one American
civilian. The French reacted by destroying most
Ivorian air assets and seizing the airport. In
response, there were widespread confrontations
accompanied by looting, rioting, and violence in
Abidjan and elsewhere. Non-emergency American
employees and family members were placed in authorized
departure status. The authorized departure status was
lifted on February 8, 2005 for employees and adult
family members. In January 2006 there were renewed
demonstrations in Abidjan and other areas, directed
against the UN and French presence. The Department of
State has issued several travel warnings, the most
recent dated March 3, 2006. The Department of State
continues to prohibit minor dependents from
accompanying U.S. government employees assigned to the
U.S. Embassy and urges Americans to defer non-essential
travel. Extreme caution is recommended at all times
when traveling within the country. Travelers to Cote
d'Ivoire are encouraged to consult the travel warning
prior to their arrival.

Visas: U.S. passport holders do not require visas for
entry to Cote d'Ivoire for periods of less than 90
days.

Medical Requirements: All travelers must have a yellow
World Health Organizations booklet bearing a valid
stamp for yellow fever inoculation or risk being denied
entry until they can be inoculated. For malaria
prophylaxis, post recommends Mefloquine be started two
weeks prior to arrival. Mefloquine is contraindicated
for individuals on beta-blockers or quinidine
(heart/blood pressure medications) and those with a
history of epilepsy or a significant psychiatric
disorder.

Excess Baggage Charges: Travelers should be aware that
airlines departing Abidjan tend to apply strict
overweight charges for excess baggage. Upgrade charges
are routinely assessed. If transiting through Europe
and traveling overnight, bags will be rechecked and if
weight exceeds the authorized 20kg, charges will be

ABIDJAN 00000955 002 OF 002

assessed.

Airport Expediter Warning: If requested, travelers
will be met at the airport by an Embassy customs and
immigration expediter. It is strongly advised that,
upon being met, the traveler verify the expediter's
Embassy identification badge to avoid being confronted
by unknown persons who claim to be Embassy-employed and
offer expediter services for a fee.
Custom Clearances for Equipment: Travelers carrying
toolboxes or full-size electronic devices such as
computers may experience difficulty clearing customs.
Please provide to the Embassy identification
information (model, serial number, etc.) one week in
advance of arrival to facilitate clearance. Laptop
computers currently post no entry problem.

Electronic Devices: Privately owned laptops, personal
computers and thumb drives are prohibited in the
embassy without pre-approval by the ISSO and RSO.
Government owned laptops, thumb drives and other
electronic devices must also have pre-approval and
adhere to 03 STATE 286036. These devices should be
clearly marked with the appropriate classification
level. Please forward the type of computer, thumb
drive or electronic device and the serial number to
your control officer prior to your arrival. This will
facilitate your access to the building with these
devices. The Marine Security Guard has been instructed
to not permit unapproved devices into the chancery.
Questions concerning other types of electronic devices
may be directed to the Information Management Office or
Regional Security Office.

Security Clearance: Please ensure your level of
security clearance either appears on your travel orders
or is otherwise passed to the regional security office
upon arrival for a security update briefing.

Transportation: The demand for official vehicles often
exceeds available vehicle resources. The motorpool
will provide transportation for official visitors both
to and from the airport and between the office and
place of lodging. Visitors who have other
transportation requirements either in Abidjan or
outside the city should provide fiscal data and
specific request for the use of a vehicle and driver at
least five working days in advance.

TDY Policy: Each visitor, regardless of length of
stay, must bring/forward fiscal data to pay for direct
costs of the visit. Each agency, organization, or
visiting delegation will be charged for the actual
costs attributed to their visit. Direct charge costs
include, but are not limited to: American and LES staff
overtime, field travel by Embassy employees, vehicle
rentals, long distance telephone calls, equipment
rentals, office supplies, and all other costs directly
attributable to the visit. Also, for TDYers over
thirty days, there is a charge for ICASS support
services. If your sponsoring agency is not signed up
for ICASS services at post, please be prepared to sign
an MOU for ICASS support services upon arrival. The
agency should provide post with a written
communication, generated by the traveler's
headquarters, that states who can authorize the
availability of ICASS funds, confirms the agency will
pay ICASS charges for the TDYer, provides the agency
ICASS billing code, and authorizes the traveler to sign
the ICASS invoice generated by the TDY module. Where
travel is urgent, TDYers should bring this
documentation with them to ensure there are no
interruptions in the provision of service. Post will
not provide any service to a TDYer staying in excess of
thirty days without provision of this documentation
before day 31 of the TDY.
Hooks

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