From: 76702.1202@CompuServe.COM (Charlie Smith)
Newsgroups: rec.travel
Subject: *NEW* TRAVEL INFORMATION -- Ethiopia
Date: 6 Jan 1993 16:25:12 -0600
Organization: UTexas Mail-to-News Gateway
NNTP-Posting-Host: cs.utexas.edu

STATE DEPARTMENT TRAVEL INFORMATION - Ethiopia
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Ethiopia - Consular Information Sheet
 December 24, 1992

Embassy Location:  The U.S. Embassy is located at Entoto Avenue, 
P.O. Box 1014, in Addis Ababa.  The telephone is (251) (1) 550-666, 
extension 316/336.  The emergency after hours number is (251) (1) 
552-558.  The U.S. Consulate in Asmara is located in the U.S. AID 
offices, telephone (251) (4) 111-895.  Only limited emergency 
consular assistance is available in Asmara.

Country Description:  Ethiopia is a developing East African 
country.  After two decades of civil war, which ended in May 1991, 
certain areas of the country are still experiencing lawlessness and 
low-level civil strife.  The northern province of Eritrea is 
technically part of Ethiopia but is independently administered by 
the Provisional Government of Eritrea.  Eritrea plans to hold a 
U.N.-sponsored independence referendum in April 1993.  Tourism 
facilities in Ethiopia, including Eritrea, are minimal.

Areas of Instability:  Travel to areas of Nekemte (formerly known 
as Wollega Province) is risky.  Armed Units of the Oromo Liberation 
Front (OLF) and forces of the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary 
Democratic Front (EPDRF) periodically clash.  Travel overland to the 
eastern towns of Dire Dawa, Harar and Jijiga and surrounding areas 
is also dangerous.  Armed confrontations between opposing political 
and ethnic groups continue on a sporadic basis in the province of 
Hararghe, although relief organizations, which had temporarily 
suspended operations due to violence and unsettled conditions, have 
resumed both development and relief operations in that area.  
Incidents of banditry are not uncommon in the southernmost areas of 
Ethiopia, along the Kenyan border. There is also possible spillover 
from the conflict in Somalia for travelers in nearby border areas.

Entry Requirements:  A passport and visa are required.  Airport 
visas are not available to travelers who depart from or pass through 
a country where an Ethiopian diplomatic mission is located.  Exit 
visas are required of all visitors remaining in Ethiopia for more 
than 30 days.  For information on entry requirements, the traveler 
can contact the Embassy of Ethiopia, 2134 Kalorama Road N.W., 
Washington, D.C. 20008, telephone (202) 234-2281/2.  Those travelers 
wishing to visit Eritrea must obtain travel permits from the 
Washington D.C. office of the Provisional Government of Eritrea, 
1418 15th Street, Suite 1, P.O. Box 65685, Washington D.C. 20035; 
telephone (202) 265-3070.

Travel within the country:  Domestic and international air services 
generally operate on schedule, although flights between Addis Ababa 
and Asmara are heavily booked and may be cancelled without prior 
warning.  Seven domestic flights have been hijacked to neighboring 
countries in the last year; the incidents ended quickly without 
injuries or fatalities. 
 
Domestic Travel Hazards:  Land mines and other anti-personnel 
devices litter the Ethiopian countryside, particularly along major 
roads.  Many persons, including foreigners, have been injured by 
these devices.  Frequent fuel shortages can make travel outside of 
Addis Ababa very difficult, if traveling by car.

Medical Facilities:  Medical facilities in Ethiopia are extremely 
limited.  Even the best hospitals in Addis Ababa suffer from 
inadequate facilities, antiquated equipment, and shortages of 
supplies, particularly medications, although physicians themselves 
are generally well trained.  Emergency assistance is limited.  
Travelers generally bring their own supplies of prescription drugs 
and any preventive medicines.  Doctors and hospitals usually expect 
cash payment for services. Not all U.S. medical insurance is valid 
outside the United States.  Supplemental medical insurance with 
specific overseas coverage and medical evacuation provisions has 
proved useful.  Information on health matters can be obtained from 
the Centers for Disease Control's international travelers hotline, 
telephone (404) 332-4559.

Information on Crime:  Pocket-picking is rampant and there have 
been numerous reports of thieves snatching jewelry from passers-by.  
Banditry occurs on roads outside major towns or cities, and may 
result in violent attack.  Useful information on safeguarding 
valuables and protecting personal security while traveling abroad is 
provided in the pamphlet, "A Safe Trip Abroad," available from the 
Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, 
Washington, D.C. 20402.

Currency Regulations:  There continues to be a lively black market 
for hard currency in Ethiopia, despite a recent devaluation of the 
Ethiopia birr.  Visitors must declare hard currency upon arrival and 
may be required to present this declaration when applying for an 
exit visa.  Penalties for exchanging money on the black market range 
from fines to imprisonment.  Credit cards are not widely accepted in 
Ethiopia and hotel and car rental expenses must be paid in hard 
currency.  

Prohibition on Photography:  Certain buildings and public places 
may not be photographed.  Travel guides, police and Ethiopian 
officials can advise if a particular site may be photographed.  
Equipment such as video cameras must be declared upon arrival and 
departure from Ethiopia.

Export of Antiques and Animal Skins:  Permits are required before 
either antiques or animal skins can be exported from Ethiopia.

Drug Penalties:  Penalties for possession, use or trafficking in 
illegal drugs are strictly enforced.  Convicted offenders can expect 
jail sentences, fines and possible confiscation of personal property.

Eritrea:  Public telecommunications links between Eritrea and other 
countries, including Ethiopia, are often difficult to establish.  
Eritrean authorities strictly enforce their rights in territorial 
waters and arrest those fishing illegally or entering restricted 
maritime zones.

Tips for Travelers:  The Department of State publication "Tips for 
Travelers to Sub-Saharan Africa" is available from the 
Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, 
Washington, D.C. 20402.  It contains general information on travel 
in the area.

Registration:  U.S. citizens who register at the U.S. embassy in 
Addis Ababa can obtain updated information on travel and security in 
Ethiopia.

 No. 92-142


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