VZCZCXYZ0002
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHTO #0868/01 2000556
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 190556Z JUL 06
FM AMEMBASSY MAPUTO
TO RUCLRFA/USDA FAS WASHDC
RUEHSA/AMEMBASSY PRETORIA 5495
INFO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5698

UNCLAS MAPUTO 000868 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR USDA/FS/SANDRA FARBER 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAGR OTRA SF MZ
SUBJ: COUNTRY CLEARANCE GRANTED FOR MICHAEL MCNAMARA TO 
TRAVEL TO MOZAMBIQUE 
 
REF: USDA FAS WASHDC 679073 
 
¶1.  Embassy Maputo welcomes and grants country 
clearance for US Forest Service, Hydrologist, Michael 
McNamara to travel to Mozambique from July 27, 2006 to 
August 8, 2006 to review source conditions, conduct 
field investigation, and author a watershed assessment 
of Banhine National Park, Mozambique.  If possible, 
Post would like Mr. McNamara to call at the embassy to 
brief Acting DCM Wysham on his visit - either before or 
after going to Banhine National Park. 
 
Please advise as soon as possible regarding any 
schedule or itinerary changes; refer to para 8 
regarding visa requirements. 
 
¶2. Control Officer: 
 
Control officer for the visit will be the Acting Deputy 
Chief of Mission, John Wysham. He can be contacted at: 
 
-- Office telephone:  (258) 2149-27-97, ext.3441 
-- Office fax:        (258) 2149-35-74 
-- Cellular:          (258) 82-315-7170 
 
¶3. Hotel Reservations: 
 
Post understands that no assistance is needed at this time, 
however, if assistance is needed please advise as soon as 
possible. 
 
¶4.  Briefing by RSO on Security Situation: 
 
Please see para 9 below. Foreigners have been crime 
targets recently. TDY visitors staying longer than two 
days must come to the Embassy for a security briefing 
from the Regional Security Office shortly after 
arrival. Guidance will include helpful do's and don'ts 
about walking around Maputo, dangerous areas in the 
city, use of taxis, etc. 
 
¶5.  Medical Services: 
 
Maputo has limited medical facilities. Visitors will 
have to be medavaced in the event of a major injury or 
illness.  In the past, we have had visitors nearly die 
because details of their medavac insurance were not 
readily available.  Post is therefore very strict in 
not granting country clearance unless we are assured 
that the traveler is adequately covered if a medavac is 
required. 
 
Direct Hire employees (not contractors) of the 
Department of State, USAID, Department of Defense, CDC, 
and Peace Corps have country clearance and need not 
take any further action.  Direct Hire employees of 
other U.S Government Agencies must provide their 
control officer by cable or e-mail a name and 24-hour 
point of contact for their agency that can authorize 
medical evacuation.  Country Clearance is granted upon 
receipt of that information. 
 
The USG does not cover contract employees for medevac. 
Therefore, all USG contractors (regardless of the 
government agency they are contracted to) must provide 
their control officer prior to arrival the name, phone 
number, and policy number of their medevac insurance 
provider(s) for use in case of emergency. Country 
clearance will not be granted to contractors without 
medevac insurance. 
 
¶6. Consular Registration: 
 
All TDY visitors spending more than two work days in 
Maputo are required to register with the Consular 
Section in the Chancery to ensure that the Mission has 
current emergency contact information for each visitor. 
 
¶7. Financial Matters: 
 
With the exception of the main hotels in Maputo, 
Mozambique is essentially a cash economy.  Credit cards 
are of limited utility.  Vendors will accept U.S. 
dollars (or South African rand) in lieu of the local 
currency, the metical.  For a day trip to Maputo, we 
recommend visitors bring with them USD 100 in cash for 
spending money.  Dollars can be exchanged at any bank 
or currency exchange facility.  Embassy Maputo 
recommends against the use of travelers' checks, as 
 
transaction charges are uniformly high.  Please note 
that Embassy Maputo will need fiscal data in the event 
that extensive services or goods are required during 
the visit.  There are no currency import/export 
restrictions in affect at this time.  The American 
Express credit card is accepted by Mozambican Airlines 
(LAM). 
 
Please note that charge limits are in effect on most 
credit card transactions, and hotel bills need to be 
settled every few days. 
 
¶8. Visas: 
 
Visas are required for entry into Mozambique, and 
Embassy Maputo urges travelers to have them prior to 
traveling.  Travelers arriving from a country without a 
Mozambican embassy can get visas at the airport or land 
border entry points for USD 20 or 500,000 meticais. 
Those arriving from a country with a Mozambican embassy 
can obtain visas at the airport or land border entry 
points for USD 25. Diplomatic visitors without visas 
will have their passports held pending processing of a 
visa, which requires Embassy Maputo to process a 
diplomatic note. 
 
¶9. Security/Threat Assessment: 
 
The biggest threat facing U.S. citizens visiting 
Mozambique is crime.  The State Department has 
designated Mozambique a critical-threat post for crime. 
Street crime and vehicle hijackings are common and can 
be violent.  Visitors must be vigilant when out in 
public areas, and should not display jewelry or other 
items of high value. Visitors should avoid carrying 
backpacks or purses, as these can draw unwanted 
attention of would-be muggers.  Isolated areas, such as 
along the Marginal (the area along the sea), should be 
avoided as joggers and pedestrians have been mugged 
frequently, even during daylight hours. 
 
There are no known terrorist groups active in Mozambique and 
no current indications that U.S. citizens are being targeted 
by terrorist organizations. 
 
The police are poorly paid, poorly equipped, and lack 
the professionalism that U.S. citizens are accustomed 
to in the United States. Visitors requiring emergency 
assistance should not rely on local emergency services, 
but should contact the Marine Security Guard at Post 
One at 21-49-07-23.  Mozambican law requires that all 
persons carry an identity document, such as a passport, 
when out in public, and produce it if requested by 
police. A copy of passport identity and visa pages is 
acceptable.  There are certain areas in the city of 
Maputo where pedestrian traffic is prohibited, e.g., in 
front of the presidential offices located north of the 
Hotel Polana on the seaside of Avenida Julius Nyerere. 
 
Overland travel after dark is extremely dangerous due 
to poor road conditions, lack of emergency services, 
and the increased potential for vehicle high-jacking. 
Official Americans serving in Mozambique are prohibited 
from overland travel outside city limits during the 
hours of darkness. 
 
TDY visitors spending more than two work days in 
Mozambique must schedule a security briefing with the 
Regional Security Officer. 
 
¶10. Airport Departure Tax: 
 
There is an airport departure tax, payable only in cash 
in U.S. dollars or in meticais, of USD 20 or its 
equivalent for long-distance international flights and 
USD 20 or its equivalent for regional flights (those 
within Southern Africa).  A domestic departure tax of 
55,000 meticais is levied. 
 
¶11. Transiting Johannesburg Airport: 
 
Please be aware that baggage security is a significant 
problem at the Johannesburg airport. Many items have 
been stolen from checked bags, including the checked 
bags themselves.  The items stolen most often are 
electronics (including I-Pods, digital 
cameras/cameras, and alarm clocks), toiletries (such 
as soap, shaving kits and cologne)and shoes 
(especially expensive running/athletic shoes). A 
 
LOCKED BAG DOES NOT ENSURE SECURITY - please put items 
such as these in your carry-on baggage.  One security 
measure that seems to meet with some success is to 
have your luggage stretch-wrapped at your point of 
departure.  The stretch-wrapping makes it more 
difficult for the thieves to gain access to your 
luggage.  Be aware that flights between Johannesburg 
and Maputo are often serviced by a small plane with 
little space for carry-on luggage.  This may require 
passengers to check their larger carry-on items. 
Please ensure your valuables are kept in a bag small 
enough to carry on your lap to keep them with you at 
all times.  We take this problem very seriously and 
are doing what we can to help aid a solution. In 
brief, please: 
 
- Leave behind irreplaceable valuables; 
- Always lock your bags; 
- Have your luggage stretch-wrapped when possible; 
- Keep your valuables with you in a small carry-on. 
 
¶12. Airline Reservations: 
 
Changing airline tickets after arriving in Maputo is 
often difficult.  Passenger reservations on all 
airlines can be changed through the national airline 
and/or travel agents in South Africa, but reissuing 
tickets have proven difficult. Travelers should be sure 
to confirm onward flight reservations. 
 
¶13. Health: 
 
Travelers are advised that chloroquine-resistant 
malaria is present in Mozambique.  The most recent 
guidance from the Department of State Medical Office 
recommends weekly use of mefloquine as the drug of 
choice for malaria prophylaxis in chloroquine- 
resistant areas.  Mefloquine must be started one to two 
weeks before arriving at post. Daily doxycycline is an 
alternative regimen. Doxycycline must be started three 
days before arriving at post.  Both malaria prophylaxis 
medications must be continued for four weeks after 
departing post. 
 
DUDLEY