The US government has clarified the travel alert issued to its citizens explain that it is not meant to prevent them from travelling to Zambia.
US Embassy Acting Public Affairs Officer, Marissa Rollens says the alert is standard procedure for her government.
She has told Muvi TV in a statement that the alerts are meant to bring major events to the attention of US citizens.
Ms Rollens says the alerts apply to those who may be traveling or living overseas.
Last week, in an alert messaged that expires on October 15, 2011, the U.S. Department of State alerted U.S. citizens to the potential for unrest or disruptions surrounding the September 20, 2011 presidential, parliamentary, and local elections in Zambia. It urged U.S. citizens planning a trip to Zambia during or immediately following the elections to monitor local news and assess local conditions and travel routes when making travel plans.
The U.S. Department of State further strongly urged U.S. citizens to avoid all demonstrations, as even peaceful ones can quickly become unruly, and a foreigner could unwittingly become a victim of harassment or more serious danger. It advised the U.S. citizens should stay current with media coverage of local events and be aware of their surroundings at all times.
For U.S. citizens already in Zambia, the U.S. Embassy recommended that they take this opportunity to ensure that passports for all family members are up to date and their children have also been documented as U.S. citizens. It also appealed to U.S. citizens to store sufficient food, water, fuel, and medicine in the event that it becomes necessary to shelter in place.
Maybe Zambians should also take the same measures when the Americans are voting!
Do we zambians know security issues?
Who can listen to that warning with poverty pocking your nose. SHUT UP
Always double standards from these folks.When the London riots of a week ago,the London bombing of 2005,the Madrid train bombings of 2004 and other such events happen in a western country they never warn their citizens not to travel there.Come to Africa and the embassy bombings of 98 had them warning all to stay away and even New Zealand refusing to play one leg of cricket world cup in Nairobi as the place was “crawling with terrorists”.London gets bombed and the US president goes to the British embassy to sign a book for victims.No such thing for poor Africans .
Iwe Uli wa bufi sana. Don’t be lying to people get your facts right. They issue travel alerts to any country holding Presidential elections or facing, or likely to face civil unrest. there are no double standards.
Take care of your people. Zambians are thugs thats why they can not find anyone to rule. They rented a president from Zimbabwe. Please leave Zambia if you can. Unless we extend the lease, the country will be unmanageable. Just an observation! Pamberi
Have you people finished raping the 14 year olds in Zimbabwe yet? Remember your lot are unwanted in SAÂ
Haha pamberi comrade
#1 Enka, good observation. That shows how insignificant our poor economies are to these Americans. In fact there were no alerts issued to their nationals following the deadly shootings and bombing in Oslo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What a shame..
You fake Zimbabwean @ # 2, just what do u mean????
This is why China is becoming a Global economic icon. While Americans are wasting time on imaginary threats in a peaceful country, Chinese are moving in with their billions of Reserve Dollars sweeping every opportunity in foreign countries.
@ 1 and 3. You guys are liers. They always issue travel alerts, if they can issue travel alerts to New Orleans what do you think would stop them issuing one for any other foreign country. Come on people you can do better than that.
WE SHOULD BE OBJECTIVE
March 11, 2011
State Department Issues Alert for Travel to Japan
by Fox News Insider Posted in: Japan Earthquake
The U.S. State Department has issued a travel warning, urging U.S. citizens to avoid travel to Japan:
The Department of State alerts U.S. citizens to the situation in Japan in the aftermath of a powerful earthquake, measuring 8.9 magnitude, that struck northern Japan on March 11. U.S. citizens should avoid travel to Japan at this time…….
I think the alert was more to do with the Nuclear Radiation from the plants than the Earthquake!!
@#5 Economist
You are spot on!!!
I urege all visionary zambians out there to start re-aligning there future economic prospects with the BRIC’s(Brazil,Rusia,India &China) and no more with the old despots of global power who are at their wits end.In the countries above that is where our countries true future lies!!
THIS IS FIRST TIME THAT A TRAVEL ALERT HAS EVER BEEN ISSUED FOR ZAMBIA, all becoz of one person, RBish WITH HIS PRESUMED DESIRE TO BRING IN ZIM POLICE!!!!!
HE SHOULD TRY IT, BUT ONLY OVER THE GRAVES OF OUR HEROIC FREEDOM FIGHTERS WHO SACRIFICED FOR OUR INDEPENDENCE SUCH THAT NEVER, NEVER AGAIN WOULD A ZAMBIAN BE SUBJECTED TO A FOREIGN POWER!!!!!
Am SURE KK WHO LED US TO INDEPENDENCE WILL SHED TEARS OVER THIS ONE, we should probably ask him WHY HE KEPT FIRING RBish!
FOR ALL TRUE ZAMBIANS, THIS IS THE LAST STRAW THAT BROKE THE CAMELS BACK, this is NOT JUST POLITICAL ELECTIONEERING, BUT BRINGING IN A BRUTAL POLICE FORCE THAT HAS ALIENATED MILLIONS OF ZIMBZBWEANS WHO HAVE RISKED THEIR LIVES CROSSING THEIR SOUTHERN BORDER INFESTED WITH CROCODILES!! This is BRINGING IN AN OCCUPIER!!
THAT IS WHY AMERICA IS BROKE TODAY, too nosey in other people’s AFFAIRS.
it least the chinese aont run..piss off yankees,bravo london rioters
@#2 that’s being silly you retard. Can you still have that audacity to condemn us, peace loving Zambians? If you support bob to hell with you. Afterall take your police back to your country. We do not need them you bugger.
Let us forget about these Americans. Their action is justified in the sence that, should any of their citizens get caught-up in trouble, it is the duty of the American Gov’t to ensure their safety by either, spending huge sums of money to evecuate them or ensure a safe sunctuary. However, this is just a precautionary measure for American citizens and does not mean that there will be chaos in Zambia as some half brains want to believe or potray.
# Zimbabwean Born: I know you (Rupiah Banda) and your unpatriotic tendencies. The US through the CIA has assessed the situation on the ground and consider it potentially explosive. Your multinational attitude will plounge our beloved country into tumoil. Would you like that. I urge all peace loving Zambians to watchout for this guy, he is stripping state house starting with money in the safe, furniture and later it will be the perimeter, the later being turned into scrap metal.
USA is right . They know that RUPIAH his ZIMBABWEAN relative Mugabe’s mercenaries to cause havoc and deaths IN Zambia.
Zambians wake up please!!!!!!!!!
What’s wrong with America being concerned about it’s citizens?Â
Despite Marissa explaining you planks still don’t get it. She says “potential” mwefinkula mwe. And she is right. Amabwe muposa mwayalaba nomba. In Africa every losing candidate cries foul. It is the duty of Marissa to warn Americans. If one still wants to travel let them go ahead.Â
What’s wrong with Africans?Â
We are not going to war,but we are having elections this 20 Sept. We are not ready what peolpe think. MAY OUR GOD PROTECT US FROM THE WORK OF THE DEVIL.
Since september 11 America has been on top of security safeguarding its own people. Its unfortunate that this travel alert comes at a time when chi Rb has promised to engage brutal zimbabwe police force in our country’s elections wat a shame to our country’s history.
US cares about its citizens. They have done their homework hence the caution.Â
I have always warned Zambians that we are in “tight grip” of foreigers; Malawians for that matter. Unfortunately for us, we cannot see (always) this and it will indeed be too late to realise we’ve been hyjacked. I have also warned that these Guys have somewhere to run to yet, we have only one Zambia as our country, our home and our future. Don’t say I never warned you; KICK OUT THESE FOREIGNERS the time is NOW!…
The USA knws that sata is going to lose and his supporters will turn violent
RB wants to rig that y he wants to bring Killers…ZIM POLICE
The intention of the so called alerts is what realy concern me as a Zambian.While they could be doing duty to their citizens,the message sent to Zambians is that they should be violent.Elections will be held on 20th September but their damned alert lasts untill 15th October!!!(Almost a month).And like the other blogers have said,these alerts are issued selectively.Zambia will never go to civil war over elections or anything else.
Sorry bwana America, yes u can pre-warn your citizens but we are not gona be violent or ungovernable…never. Whoever loses will eventually cool down with our prayers because God loves zambia and its 73 tribes so much so that good tidings from above await our being a peaceful Nation which is second to non including yoselves. Enjoy your stay in Zambia.
Come 21 September 2011 ana nari madoda ture mirowa makomana. RB ndi Mugabe bano pindirana zwakanaka!
MMD supporter will not see this…Banda was born in Zim, his parents are from there…hatred for Sata is causing all this tension hence USA government taking precautionary measure….Vote PF Vote Sata for peace sake….. for the first time US has annouced suc yet we have had election in Zed before….. US can see trouble why are MMD boyz not seeing this selling Zambia like this…I guess there are from ZIM
there will be no violence America was just being cautious with its citizens,vote RB chwe chwe chwe cwec hwe chwe chwe
This is a normal Diplomatic and Consular advice to all its citizens. ZAMBIA will be ever peaceful.
TO ALL here is an annoument by ESZ PALI FWAKWA (PF) SUPPORTERS NOTE THAT YOUR DATE OF VOTING IS ON 28 th SEPTEMBER 2O11 AND MMD SURPORTER YOUR DATE OF VOTING IS 20 th SEPTEMBER 2011 FOR OTHER PARTIES WE WILL ANNOUNCE IN DUE COURSE OF WEEK PLS TAKE NOTE OE YOUR VOTING DATES .
Thats not funny man!!!!
#22 Right on, the US have smelled a very dead rat in the way the electionz rezults may swing, much to the disappointment of the expectant many.
but ba s.w.i.n.e aba balitumpa!! This is Zambia not Zimbambwe or sudan!!
There is nothing to be be excited about this standard travel warning. Even international organizations issue travel warnings for their staff for such events as elections especially closely contested ones like ours. In fact, every responsible government should alert their citizens on such events in other countries.
US govt merely demonstrate concern for its citizens. MMD govt has never bothered whether its citizens go hungry or die from preventable diseases. Chinese more important in Zambia than Zambians – remember shooting of Zambians by Chinese.
All this is because of the plans to involve the murderer Mugabe and his police thugs to invade Zambia. Zambia is going to the polls on September 20th and not going to war, never! WE have had elections ever since 1964 and never engaged mercenaries in foreign police force uniforms. Americans have the right to warn their citizens under these circumstances, they care for their own. On the other hand our president cares for Zimbabweans and doesn’t give a damn thought for Zambians. Zambians let’s wake up and read the clear writing on the wall.
Charlie D, i agree with you on the standard travel warning, but who mislead you that this will be closely contested elections? You seem to be tired and i think you better go to sleep now and i mean right now.
the US assessment has uncovered high risk for electoral violence in zambia and thus the warning. the denial is just diplomacy. risk of violence based on what? 1. disatisfaction with the electoral process i.e.printing of ballots, presidential citizennship, abuse of state facilities 2. recent experiences in solwezi, kasama, barotseland where unprecedented violence occured 3. Sata lost twice and may not accept loss again. 4. lack of control of party leaders over their carders who can trigger violence 5. polarisation of the country on tribal lines which creates obvious battlelines 6. increasing tendence for election violence even in previously peacefull african states as seen recently ivory cost and kenya and others eg zimbabwe 5. collapsing world peace – arab world, uk, yemen, syria etc.
After Kenya, Ivory Coast and Zims best to be cautious than sorry….pity there was no alert when the English ypbs and thugs attacked and looted..heeeee..heeeee they have become an epitome of jokes after that and now are even circumventing the law to met out ‘harsh’ sentences talk about governance issues…
Some people are mentioning the bringing of Zimbabwe police officers to Zambia. How true is this? Please provide more information on this matter.
Congratulations to Miss Rollens, at least guys she gave us a discription of what she meant. Blessings to you all. this is honorable that she gave what was meant now moving on.
Alright you silly people. You need to understand something. The U.S. Embassy issues these kinds of warnings regardless of country. They issued a similar statement before the last election and they will issue similar statements for future elections. The reality is, that while Zambia is peaceful, and as a whole, will remain peaceful, there will be small scale rioting after MMD steals yet another election (i.e. Garden Compound). And for those of you who support governments like China and yet in the same breath talk about God blessing Zambia, you need to seriously think about what you are saying. It’s countries like China that rape the natural resources of Africa for their own benefit and abuse its citizens in the process. Mulungu adalitsa Zambia!
Yes it’s a standard warning, also the British FCO has the same thing. It’s just information and advice about taking care when driving past UNZA (a UK citizen was killed once by a brick)