COUNTRY CLEARANCE GRANTED FOR MICHAEL PHELAN AND

UNCLAS MAPUTO 000864 SIPDIS SIPDIS H FOR MYAMAZAKI AND AMACDERMOTT AF/S FOR HTREGER AND CKARBER E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: OREP AMGT ASEC AFIN MZ SUBJECT: COUNTRY CLEARANCE GRANTED FOR MICHAEL PHELAN AND MARIK STRING TO TRAVEL TO MOZAMBIQUE. REF: STATE 99302 ¶1. Embassy Maputo welcomes and grants country clearance for Mr. Michael Phelan and Mr. Marik String (STAFFDEL),of the Minority Staff of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee (SFRC),to travel to Mozambique, from July 30, 2007 through August 7, 2007 (tentative schedule). The purpose of this travel is to conduct a field-based study that will examine assistance funded by the State Department, Defense Department, the United States Agency for International Development, and other agencies. STAFFDEL will travel via COMAIR. Please inform as soon as possible STAFDELQs confirmed arrival and departure schedule and advise regarding any schedule or itinerary changes; refer to paragraph 13 regarding visa requirements. ¶2. Control Officer: Brooke Williams, Economic Officer, will be control officer. She can be contacted at: -- Office telephone: (258) 2149-27-97, ext.3422 -- Office fax: (258) 2149-35-74 -- Cellular: (258) 82-300-0834 ¶3. Hotel Reservations and Expeditor: Post has made reservations at an appropriate hotel within per diem rate. Expeditor will pick up and drop off at airport. ¶4. Medical Services: Maputo has limited medical facilities. Visitors will have to be medevaced in the event of a major injury or illness. In the past, we have had visitors nearly die because details of their medevac insurance were not readily available. Direct Hire employees (not contractors) of the Department of State, USAID, Department of Defense, CDC, and Peace Corps need not take any further action. Direct Hire employees of other U.S Government agencies are requested to provide to their control officer before arrival a name and 24-hour point of contact for their agency that can authorize medical evacuation. Contractors are requested to provide to their control officer before arrival the name, phone number, and policy number of their medevac insurance provider(s) for use in case of emergency. ¶5. 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. ¶6. Security and Required Briefing: TDY visitors spending more than 48 hours in Mozambique must obtain a security briefing from the EmbassyQs Regional Security Office. 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 jewellery 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 Maputo road along the sea), should be avoided as joggers and pedestrians have been mugged frequently, even during daylight hours. ¶7. There are no known terrorist groups active in Mozambique and no current indications that U.S. citizens are being targeted by terrorist organizations. ¶8. 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- 27-97. 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 and on the Monument to Mozambican Heroes near the Maputo airport. Such areas are sometimes marked with international "no trespassing" signs/symbols. ¶9. Overland travel after dark is extremely dangerous due to poor road conditions, lack of emergency services, and the increased potential for vehicle hijackings. Official Americans serving in Mozambique, including those on TDY, are prohibited from overland travel outside city limits during the hours of darkness. ¶10. Consular Registration: All TDY visitors spending more than two workdays 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. Please bring your passport to your security briefing to have a notarized copy made. ¶11. Financial Matters: With the exception of the main hotels, Mozambique is essentially a cash economy. Credit cards are of limited utility. Vendors will accept U.S. dollars (or at times 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 travellers 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 the visit. Mozambican Airlines (LAM) accepts the American Express credit card. Please note that charge limits are in effect on most credit card transactions, and hotel bills need to be settled every few days. ¶12. New Currency: On July 1, 2006, Mozambique introduced its new currency: the new Metical (originally abbreviated MTn, but now abbreviated MT.) This currency replaced the old Metical. One new Metical is equivalent to 1,000 old Meticais. At current exchange rates, 1 USD equals approximately 26 MT and 26,000 old MT. From July 1st, 2006 through December 31st, 2006, both currencies were in circulation. Since the start of 2007, only the new Metical is in circulation. During 2007, old Meticais can be exchanged for new Meticais at commercial banks. The most obvious differences between the two currencies are that the new Metical notes have three fewer zeroes than the old Metical notes of the same value and that the new Metical notes are in much better condition than the old Metical notes. The largest new Metical note is 1,000 MT (versus 500,000 old MT.) The smallest new Metical note is 20 MT (versus 10,000 old MT.) For further guidance, please refer to the images of the currency on our intranet site at http://maputo.state.gov/Sections/FMO/fmo.htm ¶13. Visas and Airport Departure Taxes: Visas are required for entry into Mozambique, and Embassy Maputo urges travellers to have them prior to travelling. Travellers arriving from a country without a Mozambican embassy can get visas at the airport or land border entry points for 25 USD or 550 MTn. Those arriving from a country with a Mozambican embassy can obtain visas at the airport or land border entry points for 25 USD. There is an airport departure tax payable only in cash, of 20 USD or equivalent in Metical (500 MTn) or Rand for regional flights, 8 USD for domestic flights and 20 USD for intercontinental flights. ¶14. Luggage Precautions: Post urges travelers to keep in mind restrictions on carry-on luggage on international flights. At present, there are restrictions on carrying liquids, gels, and cosmetics on board international flights leaving the United States. ¶15. Travelers also should bear in mind that security of checked baggage is a significant problem for travelers who transit 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, cameras, and alarm clocks),toiletries (such as cosmetics, soap, shaving kits and cologne) and shoes (especially running/athletic shoes). A LOCKED BAG DOES NOT ENSURE SECURITY. One security measure that seems to meet with some success is to have your luggage stretch-wrapped at your point of departure. The stretch-wrapping makes it more difficult for the thieves to gain access to your luggage. Be aware that flights between Johannesburg and Maputo are often serviced by a small plane with little space for carry-on luggage. This may require passengers to check their larger carry-on items. Please ensure your valuables are kept in a bag small enough to carry on your lap to keep them with you at all times. We take this problem very seriously and are doing what we can to help aid a solution. In brief, please: -- Leave behind irreplaceable valuables; -- Always lock your bags; -- Have your luggage stretch-wrapped when possible; -- Keep your valuables with you in a small carry-on; -- Make sure that your carry-on luggage complies with current international restrictions/regulations. Chapman