The U.S. Embassy informs U.S. citizens that on April 4, 2015, a Romanian national was kidnapped and two Burkinabe wounded in an attack by an unidentified armed group at the Tambao manganese mining site, in Northern Burkina Faso near the Mali and Niger borders.
The U.S. Embassy has restrictions on official government travel to Dori, Djibo, the road that connects these cities, and all areas north of that road. U.S. citizens should exercise caution when traveling along the northern areas of the country near the Mali and Niger borders. The Sahel Reserve region of Burkina Faso is extremely remote, and the ability of both the Government of Burkina Faso and the Embassy to render assistance in the event of an emergency there is limited.
The U.S. Embassy encourages you to review your personal security plans, remain aware of your surroundings, including local events, and monitor local news stations for updates. Be vigilant and take appropriate steps to enhance your personal security.
We strongly recommend that U.S. citizens traveling or residing abroad also enroll in the Department of State’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) at travel.state.gov. STEP enrollment gives you the latest security updates and makes it easier for the U.S. embassy or nearest U.S. consulate to contact you in an emergency. If you don’t have Internet access, enroll directly with the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate.
Monitor the current Travel Warnings and Travel Alerts, and the Worldwide Caution on State Department’s website. Read the Country Specific Information for Burkina Faso. For additional information, refer to the “Traveler’s Checklist.”
Contact the U.S. embassy or consulate for up-to-date information on travel restrictions. You can also call 1-888-407-4747 toll-free in the United States and Canada or 1-202-501-4444 from other countries. These numbers are available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays). Follow us on Twitter and Facebook to have travel information at your fingertips.
The U.S. Embassy Ouagadougou is located in Ouaga 2000, Sector 15, on Avenue Sembene Ousmane, southeast of the Monument aux Héros Nationaux. If you are a U.S. citizen in need of urgent assistance outside of business hours, the emergency after-hours number for the U.S. Embassy is (+226) 25-49-53-00. Dial “1,” and ask to be connected to the duty officer.
