Newsgroups: wstd.travel.advisories
From: 76702.1202@CompuServe.COM (Wally Doerge)
Subject: NEW TRAVEL INFO -- Rwanda
Organization: The World @ Software Tool & Die
Distribution: wstd
Date: Tue, 19 Oct 1993 20:11:09 GMT
STATE DEPARTMENT TRAVEL INFORMATION - Rwanda
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Rwanda - Consular Information Sheet
 October 18, 1993

Country Description:  Rwanda is a central East African country with 
a developing economy.  Tourist facilities are limited except in the 
capital city of Kigali and in accessible game parks.

Entry Requirements:  A passport and a visa are required.  Visas can 
be obtained from any Rwandan embassy or consulate.  A $15 fee is 
required for a multiple-entry visa with a stay of up to three 
months; two application forms, two photos and evidence of yellow 
fever immunization also must be presented.  Further information on 
entry requirements can be obtained at the Embassy of the Republic of 
Rwanda at 1714 New Hampshire Avenue, N.W. in Washington, D.C. 20009, 
telephone (202) 232-2882.

Areas of Instability:  The Rwandan government and a rebel force 
composed of Rwandan exiles from Uganda signed a peace accord on 
August 4, 1993, ending nearly three years of armed conflict in the 
north of the country.  Although the fighting has stopped, the former 
belligerents still maintain defensive positions in Ruhengeri and 
Byumba prefectures, with a demilitarized zone between the two 
forces.  The 300,000 persons displaced from the areas controlled by 
the rebel force continue to live in camps that straddle the main 
roads to the north.  Their protests have occasionally disrupted 
traffic along these routes.  Outbreaks of violence between political 
parties and ethnic groups have abated.  All five habituated groups 
of Rwanda's famed mountain gorillas are currently accessible, but 
the northern half of the Akagera Game Park remains closed.

Terrorist Activities:  Several acts of terrorism have been 
committed using anti-personnel and anti-vehicle mines.  Bombs, 
including timed explosives, have been placed in minibuses used for 
public transportation, hotels, a night club, the Central Post Office 
and market places.  These attacks have not been directed at American 
citizens or installations.  However, the unpredictable nature and 
location of the attacks place all visitors to Rwanda at risk.

Medical Facilities:  Medical facilities are limited.  Medicine is 
often in short supply.  Because of the high incidence of HIV 
infection, the country's blood supply must be considered unsafe.  
Doctors and hospitals often expect immediate cash payment for health 
services.  U.S. medical insurance is not always valid outside the 
United States.  Supplementary medical insurance with specific 
overseas coverage has proved useful.  Questions on health matters 
can be referred to the Centers for Disease Control's international 
travelers hotline at (404) 332-4559.

Information on Crime:  Armed robberies and attacks on residents of 
the capital city of Kigali are common.  Guns, machetes and hand 
grenades are used.  Petty street crime is on the rise.  The loss or 
theft abroad of a U.S. passport should be reported immediately to 
local police and to the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate.  The 
pamphlets "A Safe Trip Abroad" and "Tips for Travelers to 
Sub-Saharan Africa" provide useful information on protecting 
personal security while traveling abroad and on travel to the region 
in general.  Both are available from the Superintendent of 
Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402. 

Curfew:  A curfew is in effect in the northern prefectures of 
Ruhengeri, Byumba and Gisenyi, where the Volcano National Park is 
located.  Additional curfews are occasionally declared in areas 
affected by fighting, ethnic violence, or conflict between rival 
political groups.  Roadblocks and checkpoints controlled by the 
military, although decreased in number, can still be found on some 
routes outside Kigali and in the northern prefectures affected by 
the curfew.

Drug Penalties:  U.S. citizens are subject to the laws of the 
country in which they are traveling.  Penalties for possession, use 
and trafficking of illegal drugs are strict, and convicted offenders 
can expect fines and lengthy jail sentences.

Registration:  U.S. citizens who register at the U.S. Embassy may 
obtain updated information on travel and security within Rwanda.

Embassy Location:  The U.S. Embassy in Rwanda is located in the 
capital city of Kigali at Boulevard de la Revolution, B.P. 28.  The 
telephone number is (250) 75-601/2/3.

 No. 93-288
 
This replaces the Consular Information Sheet issued May 3, 1993, to 
update the information on areas of instability, crime and the 
curfews.