VZCZCXYZ0003
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHTO #0935/01 2201255
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 081255Z AUG 07
FM AMEMBASSY MAPUTO
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 7714

UNCLAS MAPUTO 000935 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
H FOR AMACDERMOTT 
AF/S FOR HTREGER AND CKARBER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OREP AMGT ASEC AFIN KE SF ET GM NL MZ
 
SUBJECT: COUNTRY CLEARANCE GRANTED FOR STEVEN FELDSTEIN TO 
TRAVEL TO MOZAMBIQUE. 
 
REF: STATE 108841 
 
¶1. Embassy Maputo welcomes and grants country clearance for 
Mr. Steven Feldstein (STAFFDEL), Majority Professional 
Staff Member, Senate Foreign Relations Committee (SFRC), to 
travel to Mozambique, from August 16, 2007 through August 
21, 2007. The purpose of this travel is to assess impact 
and effectiveness of US-funded HIV/AIDS and other health 
programs in this PEPFAR Focus country as part of a larger 
field study in preparation for reauthorization; Millennium 
Challenge Corp and other Bilateral Development Programs. 
Please advise as soon as possible regarding any schedule or 
itinerary changes; refer to paragraph 13 regarding visa 
requirements. 
 
¶2. Control Officer:  Matt Roth, Pol/Econ Chief, will be 
control officer. He can be contacted at: 
 
-- Office telephone:  (258) 2149-27-97, ext.3425 
-- Office fax:        (258) 2149-35-74 
-- Cellular:          (258) 82-315-7170 
 
¶3.  Hotel Reservations and Expeditor:  Post has made 
reservations at an appropriate hotel within per diem rate. 
Expeditor will pick up and drop off at airport. 
 
¶4. Medical Services: Maputo has limited medical facilities. 
Visitors will have to be medevaced in the event of a major 
injury or illness.  In the past, we have had visitors face 
serious medical difficulties because details of their 
medevac insurance were not readily available.  Direct Hire 
employees (not contractors) of the Department of State, 
USAID, Department of Defense, CDC, and Peace Corps need not 
take any further action.  Direct Hire employees of other 
U.S Government agencies are requested to provide to their 
control officer before arrival a name and 24-hour point of 
contact for their agency that can authorize medical 
evacuation.  Contractors are requested to provide to their 
control officer before arrival the name, phone number, and 
policy number of their medevac insurance provider(s) for 
use in case of emergency. 
 
¶5. 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. 
 
¶6. Security and Required Briefing:  TDY visitors spending 
more than 48 hours in Mozambique must obtain a security 
briefing from the EmbassyQs Regional Security Office.  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 
jewellery 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 Maputo road along the sea), 
should be avoided as joggers and pedestrians have been 
mugged frequently, even during daylight hours. 
 
¶7. There are no known terrorist groups active in Mozambique 
and no current indications that U.S. citizens are being 
targeted by terrorist organizations. 
 
¶8. 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 +258 (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 and on the Monument to Mozambican 
Heroes near the Maputo airport.  Such areas are sometimes 
marked with international "no trespassing" signs/symbols. 
 
¶9. Overland travel after dark is extremely dangerous due to 
 
poor road conditions, lack of emergency services, and the 
increased potential for vehicle hijackings.  Official 
Americans serving in Mozambique, including those on TDY, 
are prohibited from overland travel outside city limits 
during the hours of darkness. 
 
¶10. Consular Registration:  All TDY visitors spending more 
than two workdays 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. 
 
¶11. Financial Matters:  With the exception of the main 
hotels, Mozambique is essentially a cash economy.  Credit 
cards are of limited utility. Vendors will accept U.S. 
dollars (or at times 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.  Mozambican Airlines 
(LAM) accepts the American Express credit card.  Please 
note that charge limits are in effect on most credit card 
transactions, and hotel bills need to be settled every few 
days. 
 
¶12. Currency:  On July 1, 2006, Mozambique introduced its 
new currency: the New Metical (abbreviated MTn.)  At 
current exchange rates, 1 USD equals approximately 26 MTn. 
The largest New Metical note is 1,000 MTn and the smallest 
New Metical note is 20 MTn.  For further guidance, please 
refer to the images of the New Metical on our intranet site 
at http://maputo.state.gov/Sections/FMO/fmo.htm. 
 
¶13. Visas and Airport Departure Taxes:  Visas are required 
for entry into Mozambique, and Embassy Maputo urges 
travelers to have them prior to travelling. Travelers 
arriving from a country without a Mozambican embassy can 
get visas at the airport or land border entry points for 20 
USD or 300 MTn.  Those arriving from a country with a 
Mozambican embassy can obtain visas at the airport or land 
border entry points for 25 USD.  Diplomatic visitors 
without visas will be issued visas at their border entry 
point -- a process that may take up to 30 minutes.  There 
is an airport departure tax payable only in cash, of 20 USD 
or equivalent in Metical or Rand for regional flights, 8 
USD for domestic flights and 20 USD for intercontinental 
flights. 
 
Please note that non-permanent personnel, assigned 90 days 
or less, are granted a one-year multi entry visa with a 
time stipulation determined by the time they requested to 
stay in country.  Recently, there have been problems with 
the time stipulation written for TDY personnel.  It is 
imperative to review the visa granted to ensure that the 
time stipulation exceeds the required length of stay. 
Otherwise, a trip out of the country is required to prevent 
an overstay.  The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will not 
change the visas issued at the Mozambican Embassy in 
Washington, DC.  Incoming TDY personnel should verify the 
length of their visa before arriving to post. 
 
¶14. Luggage Precautions:  Post urges travelers to keep in 
mind restrictions on carry-on luggage on international 
flights.  At present, there are restrictions on carrying 
liquids, gels, and cosmetics on board international flights 
leaving the United States. 
 
¶15. Travelers also should bear in mind that security of 
checked baggage is a significant problem for travelers who 
transit 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, cameras, and alarm clocks), toiletries (such as 
cosmetics, soap, shaving kits and cologne) and shoes 
(especially running/athletic shoes).  Please note that a 
locked bag does not ensure security.  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; 
-- Make sure that your carry-on luggage complies with 
current international restrictions/regulations. 
 
Chapman