FREETOWN GRANTS COUNTRY CLEARANCE FOR RACHEL M.

UNCLAS FREETOWN 000459 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: OTRA LI IV SL SUBJECT: FREETOWN GRANTS COUNTRY CLEARANCE FOR RACHEL M. CONWAY, CHERYL O. IGIRI AND LESLIE A. PAYNE REF: SECSTATE 104237 ¶1. Freetown welcomes the visit and grants country clearance for political officers, Rachel M. Conway, Cheryl O. Igiri, and Leslie A. Payne to travel from August 09 through August 13, 2007 for consultations with embassy officials. Visitors are urged to read the entire contents of this telegram, as it provides useful information intended to ensure the success of your visit to Freetown. ¶2. Control officer for the visit: Martin Dale, Political/Economic Officer Contact numbers: 232-22-515-120 or 232-76-515-120 CELL PHONE: 232-76-616-609. E-Mail: DaleMA@state.gov Embassy Freetown Switchboard: 232-22-515-000 or 232-76-515-000 X 5120. ¶3. All visiting USG personnel are required to receive a security briefing from the Regional Security Officer (RSO) upon arrival. (See Paragraph 10.) ¶4. Visitors should consult the State Department Intranet (Opennet: HTTP://Freetown.State.Gov/) or Internet (HTTP://Freetown.Usembassy.Gov) sites for further information on the post and country. ¶5. Accommodations: No hotel reservations required. ¶6. Visa Information: A passport and visa are required for entry and visitors should obtain a visa in advance. The latest information can be obtained from the Embassy of Sierra Leone, 1701 19th Street NW, Washington, D.C. 20009, Tel: (202) 939-9261 or the nearest overseas Sierra Leonean Embassy. There is no charge for diplomatic or official passport holders. There is a charge of 100.00 USD for tourist passport holders. Airport visas may be obtained only in extreme circumstances, as they are very difficult to arrange and are not encouraged. Therefore, visitors coming from countries without a Sierra Leonean Embassy should contact their Control Officer at Embassy Freetown and fax a copy of their passports well in advance of travel. ¶7. Health/Medical: Medical facilities in Sierra Leone fall critically short of U.S. standards. Presently, the only reliable medical facility is located 45 minutes outside of Freetown. Official visitors who do not possess a Class I medical clearance or have serious health concerns, e.g., diabetes, heart disease, asthma, or who are on blood thinners (with the exception of aspirin) are discouraged from traveling to Sierra Leone. The Embassy Health Unit stocks only limited medical supplies and is not equipped to handle serious illnesses. All visitors and permanently assigned employees traveling to Sierra Leone must have their vaccinations current to include, but not limited to, tetanus, yellow fever, polio, meningitis, and rabies (for those staying longer than 30 days). The cholera vaccine is not required. Visitors should begin taking malaria prophylaxis two weeks prior to arrival. It is mandatory that visitors bring their own supply of medications, as local pharmacies in Freetown are usually unable to fill prescriptions. The International Certificate of Vaccinations yellow card should be hand carried as proof of current yellow fever inoculation. Avoid eating uncooked vegetables and salads at restaurants and hotels. ¶8. Medical Insurance: Non-Department of State personnel or contractors are required to have medical evacuation insurance prior to traveling to Sierra Leone. ¶9. Travel to/from Freetown: Arriving passengers should proceed through immigration, baggage claim, and customs. An Embassy-contracted expediter (Lungi Hotel) will meet all official passengers after they clear immigration and arrange for transportation to Freetown since Lungi International Airport is located across the harbor from Freetown. The cost of this service is $12.00 each way ($24.00 round trip) and should be paid to the Embassy cashier. If the visitor(s) arrive(s) and depart(s) during a weekend, please provide fiscal data or give the funds to the control officer. Passengers are required to pay for the cost of travel from Lungi to Freetown. Transport to Freetown is either by ferry or hovercraft. The traveler is requested to contact their control officer in advance as to their preference so that the necessary arrangements can be made. If travel is by hovercraft, the cost of the hovercraft from Lungi to Freetown is $50.00 each way, payable in U.S. currency. The hovercraft landing site is located approximately 10 minutes from the airport. Passengers are shuttled to the site in a bus. A driver will meet passengers at the hovercraft site in Freetown. If travel is by ferry, it will only be from 0800 to 1900. If the flight arrives after 1800, passengers will spend the night at Lungi and travel to Freetown the following day. Travelers are advised to carry sufficient cash to pay for the cost of accommodations in Lungi, which is approximately Le 225,000 or USD 75.00/night. Credit cards are not accepted. In order to cross the ferry, the Embassy will arrange for a contracted car-hire service with CAMServ Salone. The contractor will pick-up the visitor(s)at Lungi and then take them across on the ferry to their final destination in Freetown. The cost of this service is $150.00 per vehicle. The cost may be shared among passengers if traveling in a group, but we can not guarantee that this will always be possible. This fee is payable to the US Embassy cashier. If the visitor(s) arrive(s) and depart(s) during a weekend, please provide fiscal data or give the funds to the control officer. Regional air service into Freetown is sporadic, thus be prepared to handle alternate ticketing and/or increased food and lodging expenses. Passengers departing Freetown with certain airlines should expect to pay an Airport Tax of $40.00 (payable in U.S. Dollars) at the airport. ¶10. Threat Assessment - Security Advice: All visiting USG personnel will be required to receive a security briefing from the Regional Security Officer (RSO) upon arrival. Sierra Leone is rated high for crime. Visitors will be provided a two-way radio and instructions on how to summon assistance in the event of an emergency. All travel outside of Freetown must have the approval of the Control Officer and the RSO. The following guidance is provided to ensure your visit to Sierra Leone is safe and uneventful: -Do not use credit cards and personal checks in the local economy; -Do not carry or wear any items that may attract attention by thieves. Carry needed items deep in your pockets; -Do not walk around the city alone, especially at night; -Do not use taxis or public transportation; -Do not accept the assistance of strangers; -Do not take photographs of people without first asking as they can easily become offended. Do not photograph government or military facilities, including the airport; -If confronted by criminals, do not make threatening movements, comments, or gestures. Immediately give the criminals what they want. ¶11. Computer Systems Access: If you are a DOS employee and would like to access OpenNet during your visit (without taking the 30-60 minute systems security briefing),please bring confirmation that you have attended within the last year, the "Security Awareness Briefing on OpenNet Plus." This must a copy of the certificate you received when you completed the briefing. Ask your systems administrator if you need any help locating the DS Security Awareness Briefing certificate. ¶12. Post Policy on Laptops and Thumb Drives: The RSO must approve the use of any laptop computer in the Embassy. Thumb drives are not authorized for use on Embassy computers unless officially issued with a Dept. of State classification label on it or approved by the IMO. Thumb drives are absolutely not/not allowed on the CLASSNET. Thumb Drives brought into the Embassy must be cleared by the RSO Office. ¶13. General Information: Travelers with TDY orders and fiscal data may cash checks at the Embassy cashier. The approximate exchange rate is 3000 Leones to one USD. HULL