COUNTRY CLEARANCE GRANTED FOR GARI MAYBERRY, PAUL SPUDICH, ARTHUR MCGARR, WALTER MOONEY TO TRAVEL TO MOZAMBIQUE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 MAPUTO 000794



SIPDIS



SIPDIS



INT/USGS/RESTON/IBENTSI-ENCHILL



E.O. 12958: N/A

TAGS: MZ

SUBJ: COUNTRY CLEARANCE GRANTED FOR GARI MAYBERRY, PAUL

SPUDICH, ARTHUR MCGARR, WALTER MOONEY TO TRAVEL TO

MOZAMBIQUE



REF: SECSTATE 107787



1. Embassy Maputo welcomes and grants country

clearance for U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Geologist,

Gari Mayberry, Research Geophysicist, Paul Spudich,

Research Geophysicist, Arthur Mcgarr, and Research

Geophysicist, Walter Mooney to travel to Mozambique

from July 17, 2006 to July 23, 2006 to advise the

National Directorate of Geology in Mozambique, the US

Embassy and the USAID on seismic hazards.



Please advise as soon as possible regarding any

schedule or itinerary changes; refer to para 8

regarding visa requirements.



2. Control Officer:



Control officer for the visit will be the Acting DCM,

John Wysham. He can be contacted at:



-- Office telephone: (258) 2149-27-97, ext.3441

-- Office fax: (258) 2149-35-74

-- Cellular: (258) 82-315-7170



3. Hotel Reservations:



Post understands no assistance is needed.



4. Briefing by RSO on Security Situation:



Please see para 9 below. Foreigners have been crime

targets recently. TDY visitors staying longer than two

days must come to the Embassy for a security briefing

from the Regional Security Office shortly after

arrival. Guidance will include helpful do's and don'ts

about walking around Maputo, dangerous areas in the

city, use of taxis, etc.



5. Medical Services:



Maputo has limited medical facilities. Visitors will

have to be medavaced in the event of a major injury or

illness. In the past, we have had visitors nearly die

because details of their medavac insurance were not

readily available. Post is therefore very strict in

not granting country clearance unless we are assured

that the traveler is adequately covered if a medavac is

required.



Direct Hire employees (not contractors) of the

Department of State, USAID, Department of Defense, CDC,

and Peace Corps have country clearance and need not

take any further action. Direct Hire employees of

other U.S Government Agencies must provide their

control officer by cable or e-mail a name and 24-hour

point of contact for their agency that can authorize

medical evacuation. Country Clearance is granted upon

receipt of that information.



The USG does not cover contract employees for medevac.

Therefore, all USG contractors (regardless of the

government agency they are contracted to) must provide

their control officer prior to arrival the name, phone

number, and policy number of their medevac insurance

provider(s) for use in case of emergency. Country

clearance will not be granted to contractors without

medevac insurance.



6. Consular Registration:



All TDY visitors spending more than two work days in

Maputo are required to register with the Consular

Section in the Chancery to ensure that the Mission has

current emergency contact information for each visitor.



7. Financial Matters:



With the exception of the main hotels in Maputo,

Mozambique is essentially a cash economy. Credit cards

are of limited utility. Vendors will accept U.S.

dollars (or South African rand) in lieu of the local

currency, the metical. For a day trip to Maputo, we

recommend visitors bring with them USD 100 in cash for

spending money. Dollars can be exchanged at any bank

or currency exchange facility. Embassy Maputo

recommends against the use of travelers' checks, as

transaction charges are uniformly high. Please note

that Embassy Maputo will need fiscal data in the event

that extensive services or goods are required during



MAPUTO 00000794 002 OF 003





the visit. There are no currency import/export

restrictions in affect at this time. The American

Express credit card is accepted by Mozambican Airlines

(LAM).



Please note that charge limits are in effect on most

credit card transactions, and hotel bills need to be

settled every few days.



8. Visas:



Visas are required for entry into Mozambique, and

Embassy Maputo urges travelers to have them prior to

traveling. Travelers arriving from a country without a

Mozambican embassy can get visas at the airport or land

border entry points for USD 20 or 500,000 meticais.

Those arriving from a country with a Mozambican embassy

can obtain visas at the airport or land border entry

points for USD 25. Diplomatic visitors without visas

will have their passports held pending processing of a

visa, which requires Embassy Maputo to process a

diplomatic note.



9. Security/Threat Assessment:



The biggest threat facing U.S. citizens visiting

Mozambique is crime. The State Department has

designated Mozambique a critical-threat post for crime.

Street crime and vehicle hijackings are common and can

be violent. Visitors must be vigilant when out in

public areas, and should not display jewelry or other

items of high value. Visitors should avoid carrying

backpacks or purses, as these can draw unwanted

attention of would-be muggers. Isolated areas, such as

along the Marginal (the area along the sea),should be

avoided as joggers and pedestrians have been mugged

frequently, even during daylight hours.



There are no known terrorist groups active in Mozambique and

no current indications that U.S. citizens are being targeted

by terrorist organizations.



The police are poorly paid, poorly equipped, and lack

the professionalism that U.S. citizens are accustomed

to in the United States. Visitors requiring emergency

assistance should not rely on local emergency services,

but should contact the Marine Security Guard at Post

One at 21-49-07-23. Mozambican law requires that all

persons carry an identity document, such as a passport,

when out in public, and produce it if requested by

police. A copy of passport identity and visa pages is

acceptable. There are certain areas in the city of

Maputo where pedestrian traffic is prohibited, e.g., in

front of the presidential offices located north of the

Hotel Polana on the seaside of Avenida Julius Nyerere.



Overland travel after dark is extremely dangerous due

to poor road conditions, lack of emergency services,

and the increased potential for vehicle high-jacking.

Official Americans serving in Mozambique are prohibited

from overland travel outside city limits during the

hours of darkness.



TDY visitors spending more than two work days in

Mozambique must schedule a security briefing with the

Regional Security Officer.



10. Airport Departure Tax:



There is an airport departure tax, payable only in cash

in U.S. dollars or in meticais, of USD 20 or its

equivalent for long-distance international flights and

USD 20 or its equivalent for regional flights (those

within Southern Africa). A domestic departure tax of

55,000 meticais is levied.



11. Transiting Johannesburg Airport:



Please be aware that baggage security is a significant

problem at the Johannesburg airport. Many items have

been stolen from checked bags, including the checked

bags themselves. The items stolen most often are

electronics (including I-Pods, digital

cameras/cameras, and alarm clocks),toiletries (such

as soap, shavin kits and cologne)and shoes

(especially expensive running/athletic shoes). A

LOCKED BAG DOES NOT ENSURE SECURITY - please put items

such as these in your carry-on baggage. One security

measure that seems to meet with some success is to



MAPUTO 00000794 003 OF 003





have your luggagestretch-wrapped at your point of

departure. Thestretch-wrapping makes it more

difficult for thethieves to gain access to your

luggage. Be awarethat flights between Johannesburg

and Maputo areoften serviced by a small plane with

little spac for carry-on luggage. This may require

passengrs to check their larger carry-on items.

Please nsure your valuables are kept in a bag small

enouh to carry on your lap to keep them with you at

ll times. We take this problem very seriously and

are doing what we can to help aid a solution. In

brief, please:



- Leae behind irreplaceable valuables;

- Always lock our bags;

- Have your luggage stretch-wrapped whn possible;

- Keep your valuables with you in a mall carry-on.



12. Airline Reservations:



Chaning airline tickets after arriving in Maputo is

ften difficult. Passenger reservations on all

airlines can be changed through the national airline

and/or travel agents in South Africa, but reissuing

tickets have proven difficult. Travelers should be sure

to confirm onward flight reservations.



13. Health:



Travelers are advised that chloroquine-resistant

malaria is present in Mozambique. The most recent

guidance from the Department of State Medical Office

recommends weekly use of mefloquine as the drug of

choice for malaria prophylaxis in chloroquine-

resistant areas. Mefloquine must be started one to two

weeks before arriving at post. Daily doxycycline is an

alternative regimen. Doxycycline must be started three

days before arriving at post. Both malaria prophylaxis

medications must be continued for four weeks after

departing post.



LA LIME