The British Foreign and Commonwealth Office is currently advising against all but essential travel to Bahrain until further notice.
“Following violence over recent days, and most recently on the evening of 18 February, we advise British nationals to avoid all but essential travel to Bahrain,” reads the warning on its website today.
The travel warning also strongly advises British nationals currently in Bahrain to limit travel around the island to essential journeys only, and to monitor the media. If travelling within Bahrain, British nationals should maintain a high level of security awareness, particularly in public places and on major highways, and avoid large crowds and demonstrations. The airport remains open and transiting through the airport is unaffected by this advice.
The US State Department travel advice website reads, rather brezzily, that “spontaneous demonstrations take place in Bahrain from time to time in response to world events or local developments. U.S. citizens should be aware that even peaceful gatherings may escalate into violence and are therefore urged to exercise caution if within the vicinity of any demonstrations.”
The Canadian Foreign Affairs and International Trade department notes that since Bahrain’s “day of rage”, on February 14 reports of deaths and injuries sustained during the protests are still emerging.
Canadians are advised to avoid all gatherings and demonstrations and to stay away from areas where they may occur, as they may turn violent without warning. Canadians should particularly avoid visiting districts in and around Manama and Al-Seef.
The Opening race of the 2011 Formula 1 season was due to take place in Bahrain in March, but was last night suspended, or postponed due to the civil unrest.
Libya:
The FCO strongly recommends against all but essential travel to Libya. “Those without a pressing need to remain in the country, should leave by commercial means if it is safe to do so.
There will be no British Airways flight from Tripoli to London on 22 February. Commercial flights are available from Tripoli airport. However, the majority of airport offices in Tripoli are closed until further notice. “We advise British Nationals who wish to leave Libya but cannot purchase tickets online to travel to the airport carrying sufficient cash to buy tickets. Problems with internet connections in Libya mean that electronic payments may not be accepted,” says the advice.
Philip Crowley, Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs at the US State department issued a stinging criticism of the actions of Libyan state forces against its own people.
“The United States is gravely concerned with disturbing reports and images coming out of Libya. We are working to ascertain the facts, but we have received multiple credible reports that hundreds of people have been killed and injured in several days of unrest — and the full extent of the death toll is unknown due to the lack of access of international media and human rights organisations,” said Crowley.
“We have raised to a number of Libyan officials, including Libyan Foreign Minister Musa Kusa, our strong objections to the use of lethal force against peaceful demonstrators. We reiterated to Libyan officials the importance of universal rights, including freedom of speech and peaceful assembly. Libyan officials have stated their commitment to protecting and safeguarding the right of peaceful protest. We call upon the Libyan government to uphold that commitment, and hold accountable any security officer who does not act in accordance with that commitment.”
Violence again rattled the Libyan streets last nights, with reports emerging that air strikes had been ordered on civilians.
Tripoli was rocked by volleys of gunfire on Monday as protesters attacked police stations as well as offices of the state broadcaster and set government buildings on fire.
The violence came amid reports that government gunmen were “firing indiscriminately” at the demonstrators in the capital’s Tajura district.
Egypt update:
The US Department of State released the following advisory note on Friday:
The U.S. Department of State continues to warn U.S. citizens to defer non-essential travel to Egypt. This Travel Warning supersedes the Travel Warning dated February 6, 2011, to update information on the ongoing security and political situation in Egypt.
On February 1, the Department of State ordered the departure of all non-emergency U.S. government personnel and family members from Egypt due to the ongoing political and social unrest. The U.S. Embassy in Cairo remains on ordered departure status, with only emergency personnel remaining. All family members and non-emergency personnel have evacuated.
Due to continuing uncertainties regarding the restructuring of Egyptian government institutions, the security situation remains unresolved. Until the redeployment of Egyptian civilian police is fully restored, police response to emergency requests for assistance or reports of crime may be delayed. The Embassy’s ability to respond to emergencies to assist U.S. citizens is also significantly diminished. The Embassy’s current staff level reduces the ability to travel to areas outside of Cairo where the level of security remains unclear.
The Government of Egypt has modified the curfew for the country several times. As of February 18, 2011, the curfew hours are from midnight to 6:00 a.m. throughout Egypt until further notice. U.S. citizens should obey curfew orders and remain indoors during curfew hours. Changes in curfew hours are announced widely in local media.
Most airports, including the Cairo airport, are open and operating, and commercial airlines are reporting flight availability. Travelers should remain in contact with their airlines or tour operators concerning flight schedules.
U.S. citizens who reside in Egypt should keep their travel documents up to date and maintain sufficient funds on hand to depart by air should security conditions change.
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