ANNUAL OVERSEAS SECURITY ADVISORY COUNCIL (OSAC)

UNCLAS ASMARA 000016


DEPARTMENT FOR DS/IP/AF, DS/TIA/ITA, OSAC, AND AF/E

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ASEC AMGT APER ER
SUBJECT: ANNUAL OVERSEAS SECURITY ADVISORY COUNCIL (OSAC)
CRIME AND SAFETY REPORT

REF: 08 STATE 132056



1. The following unclassified crime and medical information
is provided for the OSAC public website. Responses are keyed
to Reftel.


I. Overall Safety and Crime Environment


A. Post continues to receive reports of violent crime in
Eritrea. According to Eritrean police, local sources, and
other diplomatic contacts, there continues to be an increase
in street crimes, pickpocketing, robberies, residential
burglaries, vehicle break-ins, and assaults. There are also
been an increase in the number of incidents involving
emotionally disturbed persons (EDPs) in parts of Asmara where
Westerners live, eat, and frequent. These EDPs have
assaulted Westerners and Eritreans in the past. RSO
continues to receive reports of break-ins at both Western and
Eritrean residences. Thus far they have been limited to
residences that do not have 24/7 guard presence. There have
been no break-ins at any U.S. Embassy residences in several
years. Hotels have generally proven to be safe for visitors.


B. Road Safety: The road conditions on the primary roads
in the city of Asmara are generally adequate but the overall
condition of the secondary roads continues to decline and
residents in many neighborhoods have taken to filling
potholes themselves. Driving in Asmara can be hazardous due
to the many pedestrians and bicyclists who seem oblivious to
the vehicle traffic. As gas has become increasingly
expensive, the numbers of bicyclists has increased
dramatically. Pedestrian and bicyclist behavior changes
little at night and safety items such as lights and
reflectors are seldom used. Vehicles frequently travel
without using headlights at night in an effort to save gas.
Motorists should use extreme caution during hours of
darkness. Roads outside of Asmara are in poor condition and
except for the major ones between cities, unpaved. The roads
are winding with numerous switchbacks, steep embankments, and
no shoulders. The Asmara-Massawa road is notorious for
horrific accidents due to the heavy truck traffic and blind
corners. For several months during the winter, fog on the
most mountainous stretches of the road reduces visibility to
near zero, particularly in the afternoon and evening. The
embassy recommends that travel outside of Asmara be
undertaken only during daylight.

II. Political Violence in Eritrea


A. Historical Perspective: Post continues to receive
reports of Eritreans yelling anti-American or other
derogatory phrases at either Americans or other westerners
who are perceived to be Americans. The Government of the
State of Eritrea (GSE) continues to run anti-American
articles in its state owned/controlled media. However, the
majority of Eritreans do not appear to be anti-American. As
in any foreign setting, visitors to Eritrea must remain aware
of their surroundings at all times and avoid confrontational
events whenever possible.


B. Regional Terrorism and Organized Crime: The GSE has
reported their officials have been victims of attacks in
northern and western Eritrea by indigenous groups such as the
Eritrean Islamic Jihad or other dissident groups supported by
Ethiopia and Sudan. There are continuous reports of
explosions due to unknown individuals placing mines along
roads outside of Asmara. The UN and the USG have travel
restrictions prohibiting their personnel from going to
dangerous areas.


C. International or Transnational Terrorism: The GSE has
provided sanctuary for members of the former Council of
Islamic Courts (CIC) inside Eritrea, including to Sheikh
Hassan Dahir Aweys who has affiliation with the reportedly
defunct Al Ittihad Al Islamia (AIAI). He was publicly
reported as being in Asmara as late as November 2008. The
GSE reportedly has provided regional groups such as the
Sudanese Liberation Movement (SLM),the Sudanese Justice and
Equality Movement (JEM),the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF),
the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF),and the Alliance
for the Reliberation of Somalia (ARS) with a wide range of
logistical support such as Eritrean passports. The GSE
professes it would know if foreign terrorist groups such as
Al-Qaida were present in Eritrea. However, Eritrea has a
long, porous land border with Sudan and an extensive border
on the Red Sea. With limited security resources to
adequately patrol these borders, Post assumes groups would be
able to unofficially enter/transit through Eritrea through
one of these borders without the GSE's knowledge.


D. Civil Unrest: Widespread civil unrest and disorder would
be met with brutal force by the GSE. There have been no
demonstrations against any USG facility in recent history.


III. Post Specific Concerns


A. Landmines, including ones that were newly laid in 2008,
and unexploded ordinance litter the countryside and cause
sporadic injuries and death. Although some de-mining efforts
have taken place, areas that are not well traveled,
especially in the north and west, are potentially dangerous.
The embassy recommends checking with local government and
village officials before undertaking travel to remote areas
or off the main roads. Travelers should exercise extreme
caution and avoid secondary roads. Additionally, travelers
should ensure that other traffic has recently passed over
unimproved roads before traversing them.


B. Increased military tensions along the Ethiopian and
Djiboutian borders:
Tensions between Ethiopia and Eritrea continue to be high and
both sides have massed over 100,000 soldiers each along their
shared border. In 06/2008 there were military skirmishes
between Eritrea and Djibouti as well. Post has issued travel
advisories advising Americans to avoid the border area.
There have been sporadic reports of fighting between these
two forces and reports of landmine explosions in these areas
as well.


C. Travel Restrictions: The GSE issued a decree in May 2006
that restricts all foreigners, including diplomats, to Asmara
unless travel permits are obtained ten days in advance. The
difficulties in obtaining travel permissions in a timely
manner, or at all, severely limits the U.S. Embassy's ability
to respond to U.S. citizen emergencies outside of Asmara. In
recent months, the U.S. Embassy has received reports of
difficulties experienced by U.S. citizens (official and
private) in obtaining visas to travel to Eritrea. Visas
cannot be obtained at the Asmara International Airport for
most visitors and not without explicit approval by the GSE.
Travelers are advised to allow adequate lead time when
applying for a travel visa and should contact their nearest
Eritrean Embassy for updated information on application and
wait times.


D. Vienna Convention: The GSE does not notify the U.S.
Embassy in cases of U.S. citizen detention, in contravention
of Vienna Convention obligations. American citizens of
Eritrean origin are particularly vulnerable in cases of
detention or emergency, as the Eritrean government has stated
it does not recognize the U.S. citizenship of dual nationals,
regardless of whether the individual travels on an Eritrean
or U.S. travel document. In several instances, the U.S.
Embassy has only become aware of U.S. citizen problems long
after the incident occurred. Visitors are advised to consult
the latest consular information sheet and travel warning for
Eritrea before planning travel. This information can be
found on the State Department's website at
http://www.state.gov.

IV. Eritrean Police Response:


A. Police Detention or Harassment: If visitors encounter
detention or harassment from the Eritrean police or Eritrean
National Security Organization (ENSO),they should
immediately report the incident to the Embassy's consular
section and request guidance. Bilateral relations between
the GSE and the USG are poor and Eritrean officials
(including police officials) refuse to meet with Embassy
officers. The Embassy's interaction with Eritrean police is
extremely limited.


B. Assistance For Crime Victims: The Eritrean police have
been responsive when victims of crimes have requested
assistance. However, the Embassy has no assurance that we
would be notified by the GSE in the case of a U.S. citizen
emergency or that the Embassy would be able to access U.S.
citizens to render assistance outside of Asmara. The
Eritrean police are poorly trained and plagued by a lack of
resources such as radios and vehicles. In the past, Embassy
Local Guard Force members have had to pick up Eritrean police
and transport them to the scene of crimes involving Embassy
personnel. There is no rapid response to any reports of
crime. Investigative abilities by the Eritrean police are
extremely basic and usually ineffective.

Crime Prevention unit: 291-1-12-52-29
Investigations unit: 291-1-11-54-02
Airport Security: 291-1-18-66-04.
1st Police Station: 291-1-127-799
2nd Police Station: 291-1-116-219
3rd Police Station: 291-1-114-942
4th Police Station: 291-1-159-159
5th Police Station: 291-1-151-118
6th Police Station: 291-1-115-551
7th Police Station: 291-1-186-370




V. Medical Emergencies:
Medical facilities in Eritrea are inadequate by U.S.
standards and are extremely limited. The Embassy medical
policy is to stabilize and evacuate. However, evacuation
options are extremely limited. A medical evacuation by
private air ambulance requires an arrangement with off-shore
companies and may take several days to arrange through the
Eritrean authorities. Travelers are recommended to get
adequate air ambulance evacuation insurance prior to arrival.

Travelers must bring their own medical supplies or
prescription drugs and preventive medicines. Doctors and
hospitals expect immediate cash payment for health care
services. Malaria is prevalent in the coastal areas and in
the western lowlands. Malaria prophylaxis is recommended
when traveling to these areas. The following is a list of
the most important medical contact numbers for Asmara.
Travelers should check with the American Citizen Services
Section at the U.S.

Embassy for the most current information.
Orota Hospital: 291-1-201-917 and 202-914
Sembel Hospital: 291-1-150-175
Selam Poly Clinic: 291-1-200-946 and 124-610
SOS USA: 1-800-523-6586
SOS London International: 00-44-20-8762-8133
SOS Geneva: 00-41-22-785-6464
Nairobi Air Ambulance: 00-254-2-315-454
Tricare Europe Chief - Healthcare Operations:
00-49-6302-67-6312 or 6362

VI. Travel Precautions:

Armed robbery is rare in Asmara. Westerners and Embassy
employees have been the victims of petty crimes and assaults
in recent months. Americans and Westerners are perceived as
being wealthy and as lucrative targets, particularly as the
Eritrean economy continues to worsen. EDPs, vagrants, and
beggars are becoming increasingly aggressive and belligerent
towards perceived wealthy westerners. Visitors and residents
are encouraged to exercise vigilance in their personal
security measures as they would in any big U.S. city.
Visitors should avoid flashing large sums of cash in crowded
public areas. Eritrean law prohibits visitors from
exchanging currency with unregistered street moneychangers
and provides stiff mandatory penalties for violators,
including incarceration.

VII. Further Information:

Contact Numbers for the U.S. Embassy:
Embassy main and after-hours number: 291-1-12-00-04
Regional Security Officer: 291-1-12-43-67
American Citizen Services: 291-1-12-03-42
Foreign Commercial Service: Not present.

VIII. OSAC Country Council

There is no formal OSAC in Asmara. The RSO regularly meets
with security officials from other diplomatic missions to
share information.


MCMULLEN