The U.S. Department of State alerts U.S. citizens residing in or traveling to Burkina Faso of the upcoming presidential and legislative elections scheduled for November 29. U.S. citizens are reminded of the risks of travel to Burkina Faso and urged to exercise caution while traveling within Burkina Faso during the election season. This Travel Alert expires on January 23, 2016.
Campaigning, which began on November 8, will continue until elections are held on November 29. A second round of elections could occur if no candidate obtains an absolute majority in the first round.
There is potential for sporadic civil disruptions throughout the presidential and legislative election period, including demonstrations, which can be spontaneous and occur with little or no advance warning throughout Burkina Faso.
U.S. citizens in Burkina Faso should remain vigilant and utilize appropriate personal security practices. Avoid political rallies, campaign events, polling stations, demonstrations, protests, and other large gatherings in the weeks before and after elections; maintain situational awareness and exercise good judgment; stay alert and aware of your surroundings at all times; and stay abreast of the situation through media outlets. U.S. citizens should maintain adequate supplies of food, water, essential medicines, and other supplies to shelter in place for at least 72 hours should this become necessary. Additional recommendations on emergency preparedness are available on the Travel.State.gov web page Emergencies Abroad.
For further information:
- See the State Department’s travel website for the Worldwide Caution, Travel Warnings, Travel Alerts, and Country Specific Information for Burkina Faso.
- Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive security messages and make it easier to locate you in an emergency.
- Contact the U.S. Embassy Ouagadougou, in Ouaga 2000, Sector 15, on Avenue Sembene Ousmane, southeast of the Monument aux Héros Nationaux, at (+226) 25-49-53-00, 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Friday. If you are a U.S. citizen in an emergency situation after normal Embassy operating hours, please contact the Embassy, dial “1,” and ask to be connected to the duty officer.
- Call 1-888-407-4747 toll-free in the United States and Canada or 1-202-501-4444 from other countries from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).
