The U.S. Embassy in Brazzaville alerts U.S. citizens there is a constitutional referendum vote scheduled throughout the country on Sunday, October 25, 2015. The U.S. Embassy expects that, as is customary, the government of the Republic of Congo will issue a decree prohibiting vehicular traffic on that date. The U.S. Embassy advises U.S. citizens to remain at home and to avoid wearing red or green colors as they may be perceived as a political statement indicating support for yes (green) or no (red) on the referendum.
U.S. citizens should continue to maintain a high level of security awareness at all times. Take all appropriate steps to enhance your personal security, to include avoiding areas of demonstrations, and exercising caution if in the vicinity of any large gatherings, protests, or demonstrations. Even demonstrations intended to be peaceful can turn confrontational and escalate into violence. Although there have been no specific incidents of violence or threats targeting U.S. citizens, the Embassy urges U.S. citizens to exercise caution and stay current with media coverage of local events.
For further information:
- See the State Department’s travel website for the Worldwide Caution,Travel Warnings, Travel Alerts, and Country Specific Information for Congo.
- 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 in Brazzaville, located at 70-83 Boulevard Denis Sassu Nguesso, Brazzaville, Congo, at +242-06-612-2000, 8.00 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. from Monday – Thursday; 8.00 a.m. to 12.00 p.m on Friday. After-hours emergency number for U.S. citizens is (+242) 06-612-2010.
- 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).
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