TRAVEL WARNING - REPUBLIC OF SOUTH SUDAN (Sept 11, 2012)

1. The U.S. Department of State continues to warn U.S.
citizens of the risks of travel to the Republic of South
Sudan and strongly recommends U.S. citizens defer all
travel to the country.  This replaces the Travel Warning
dated July 12, 2011, updates information on security
incidents, and reminds U.S. citizens of ongoing security
concerns in the Republic of South Sudan.

2. The Department of State warns U.S. citizens of the
risks of traveling to South Sudan and strongly recommends
that you avoid all travel to the states in the border
region between Sudan and South Sudan (Upper Nile, Unity,
and Western Bar el Ghazai states in South Sudan; Southern
Kordofan and Blue Nile states in Sudan; and the Abyei
Special Administrative District).  Although fighting
between Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and the Sudan People's
Liberation Army (SPLA) has declined since spring 2012,
the potential for troop build-ups along the border and
renewed fighting continues to be a legitimate threat.

3. You should exercise extreme caution in all areas of
South Sudan.  In addition to the fighting in the border
region, there are at least seven rebel militia forces
that frequently engage in violent clashes with SPLA
forces in various areas of South Sudan; these clashes can
flare up with little warning and may exacerbate ethnic
tensions throughout the country, leading to further
violence.

4. The Government of South Sudan has limited capacity to
deter crime or provide security to travelers outside of
the capital city of Juba.

5. The risk of violent crime is high in Juba.  In
addition to the risk of criminality, U.S. citizens have
been the subject of arrest and detention without cause
and physical abuse by South Sudanese security services.
The U.S. Embassy in Juba has imposed a curfew from 1:00
a.m. to 6:00 a.m. to better ensure the safety of its
personnel.  In addition to the curfew, the Embassy has
implemented other measures to protect U.S. government
personnel living and working in South Sudan.  These
include requiring personnel to travel in armored
government vehicles at all times at night, and to obtain
advance permission for any travel outside of Juba.  Due
to security concerns, spouses and family members of U.S.
government personnel are not permitted to reside in South
Sudan.

6. If you are currently working on humanitarian relief or
development efforts in Juba, or anywhere in South Sudan,
you should take measures to reduce your exposure to
violent crime, and should closely follow the security
policies and procedures of your organization.

7. There are likely to be disruptions or long delays in
services provided by the Government of South Sudan,
including health care and sanitation.

8. The U.S. Embassy in Juba currently provides limited
emergency services to U.S. citizens living or traveling
in South Sudan, including the provision of emergency
passports. The embassy expects to begin offering standard
passport and notarial services in late 2012. Other
routine consular services are available through U.S.
embassies in neighboring countries, such as the U.S.
embassies in the neighboring countries of Khartoum,
Sudan, and Nairobi, Kenya.

9. U.S. citizens can obtain global updates from the State
Department's Bureau of Consular Affairs website, where
you can find the current Worldwide Caution, Travel
Warnings, Travel Alerts, and Country Specific
Information.  Current information on safety and security
can also be obtained by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll-free
in the United States, or for callers outside the United
States and Canada, a regular toll line at 1-202-501-
4444.  These numbers are available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00
p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S.
federal holidays).

10. If you are going to live in or travel to South Sudan
despite this Travel Warning, please take the time to tell
us about your trip by enrolling in the Smart Traveler
Enrollment Program (STEP).  By enrolling in STEP, we can
keep you up to date with important safety and security
announcements.  Enrolling in STEP will also make it
easier for us to contact you in the event of an
emergency.  You should remember to keep all of your
information in STEP up to date; it is particularly
important when you enroll or update your information to
include a current phone number and e-mail address.  U.S.
citizens in South Sudan without internet access may
enroll directly at the U.S. Embassy in Juba by filling
out and submitting a registration form.

11. U.S. citizens in South Sudan can obtain the latest
security information by contacting the consular section
at the U.S. Embassy in Juba, South Sudan (e-mail address:
ACSJuba@state.gov), or by visiting the U.S. Embassy
website.  In the event of an emergency, please contact
the U.S. Embassy in Juba by calling +249-900-90-5107
(Zain) or +256-477-459-820 (GEMTEL) and ask to speak to
the Embassy Duty Officer.