Travel Warning Issued for Cameroon Due to High-Risk Security Situation

Strategic Insights -

The U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Consular Affairs has issued a travel warning for U.S. citizens, cautioning against traveling to the North and Far North regions of Cameroon due to the high risk of terrorism, kidnappings, and violent criminal activity. The warning replaces the previous Travel Warning of February 4, 2015, and emphasizes the ongoing threat of armed attacks, bombings, and kidnappings in the Far North region. Boko Haram, an extremist terrorist group, has actively targeted foreign residents, tourists, and government leaders, and has stated its intention to kidnap westerners, including U.S. citizens.

Key Takeaways:

  • The U.S. Department of State warns U.S. citizens of the high risk of traveling to Cameroon, particularly in the North and Far North regions, due to the threat of terrorism, kidnappings, and violent criminal activity.
  • Twenty-one foreigners have been reported kidnapped since 2013, with Boko Haram's leaders stating and demonstrating their intention to target westerners, including U.S. citizens.
  • The U.S. Embassy has limited ability to provide consular services in remote and rural areas, and U.S. citizens should exercise extreme caution when traveling within 60 miles/100 kilometers of the border with Nigeria's Adamawa State in the North and Adamaoua regions of Cameroon.
  • The threat of piracy is present in the waters of the Bakassi peninsula in the Gulf of Guinea, and criminal activity continues to be a major concern in urban areas such as Yaounde, Douala, and other towns.
  • Road banditry, especially along the eastern border with the Central African Republic, is reported periodically.
  • An influx of refugees fleeing conflict in the Central African Republic and Nigeria has strained Cameroon's economy and added population to already crowded urban areas.

Statistics:

  • Twenty-one foreign nationals have been reported kidnapped since 2013, with Boko Haram's leaders stating and demonstrating their intention to target westerners, including U.S. citizens.
  • The U.S. Embassy has limited ability to provide consular services in remote and rural areas.
  • Road banditry is reported periodically along the eastern border with the Central African Republic.
  • High unemployment and an under-equipped police force exacerbate the situation in urban areas such as Yaounde, Douala, and other towns.

Sources:

  • U.S. Department of State Travel Website (no date)
  • Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) (no date)
  • U.S. Embassy in Cameroon (no date)
  • Bureau of Consular Affairs (no date)