7/31/2019 Most Dangerous Places to Visit in the World

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Most dangerous places to visit in the world

With former Taliban and al Qaeda operatives still at large, U.S. citizens and employees ofinternational NGOs are constantly at risk of kidnapping and assassination. Military operations,frequent terrorist attacks and landmines make travel throughout the country nearly impossible,and Afghan authorities have a limited ability to ensure the safety of visitors. The United Nationswas forced to suspend operations temporarily last year after the number of attacks oninternational aid workers grew.

U.N. Peacekeeping Forces have been stationed here since a 1999 cease-fire was established

between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and five regional states. Despite the formationof a transitional government in 2003, the area remains highly unstable, and the U.N. reportsfrequent violent clashes between tribal groups, armed military forces and government troops.Bribery and unauthorized detention is commonplace upon entering or leaving the country. TheIturi region is particularly prone to ethnic tension, rape and sporadic violence.

7/31/2019 Most Dangerous Places to Visit in the World

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The death in mid-April of a Philippine U.N. Peacekeeper in Haiti is only the latest symptom of

the country's political instability. Haiti has no organized police force to speak of, and armedgangs roam the streets participating in spontaneous attacks on each other and on civilians.Criminal activity, including looting, car jacking and kidnapping, is common, and the U.S.Embassy in Port-au-Prince has established a curfew of 9 P.M. to 5 A.M. to protect itsemployees.

Daily reports of car bombings, kidnappings and assassinations in Iraq keep it in the headlines,even after the relatively peaceful elections in January. Former Baathists, international terroristsand miscellaneous criminals make the country almost impassable for civilians, as well as for themilitary. The kidnapping and execution of Americans, Europeans and Asians is a commonterrorist technique, as is the use of IEDs (improvised explosive devices), which are hastilyconstructed and hidden in land mines or roadside litter.

7/31/2019 Most Dangerous Places to Visit in the World

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This small country in Central Asia was left to fend for itself when the Soviet Union collapsed in

1991. It has since come under scrutiny from the U.N. because of its proximity to Uzbekistanand possible ties to the extremist group Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU), a terroristorganization linked to al Qaeda. Landmines throughout the country--and especially along theborder with Uzbekistan--make travel extremely dangerous. The U.S. Embassy is carefullymonitoring places that are likely to attract groups of Westerners for signs of potential terroristattacks or suicide bombings.

Like Gambia or North Korea, Somalia is a "tracker country" in iJet lexicon, meaning iJet hasfew, if any, on-the-ground sources. The country has no U.S. Embassy or other U.S. presence ofany kind. Inter-clan fighting and attacks against relief workers and international aid agenciesare common, and the Mogadishu region, which is contested by many racial groups, isespecially dangerous. Ships in the Indian Ocean off the Eastern coast of the country are at riskfrom sea-faring robbers. Somalia was the worst-hit country in Eastern Africa by the recenttsunami, and water contamination and waterborne disease have since been a major concern.

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Sudan's ongoing civil war has made the country practically uninhabitable, although the U.S.

State Department believes a long-awaited peace agreement may be in the works. Still, recentreports of genocidal activity in Darfur, clashes between government forces and the SudanPeople's Liberation Army, and ongoing reports of terrorist threats and general banditry meanyou should steer clear if you can. Hostility towards U.S. foreign policy is widespread.

Togo's hotly contested presidential elections on April 24 have given rise to a new wave ofviolence. A favorite of leisure travelers in the early 1990s because of its beautiful beaches, thecountry's political unrest over the last 15 years has made visitors think twice about going, andrightly so. Protests in Lom, the coastal capital, are violent and frequent, and sporadic violenceand protests occur all over the country. Communication is difficult, especially around Lom, asall commercial radio has been cancelled and phone lines cut. U.S. citizens are not at anygreater risk than other foreigners, although several have reported being harassed by nativeTogolese who mistook them for French. U.S. Embassy personnel must abide by a 6 P.M. to 8

A.M. curfew.

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Unemployment and inflation have effectively devastated the Zimbabwean economy. Annual

March parliamentary elections are a particularly tense time, as election-related vote rigging andintimidation spark violence and unstable political rallies, especially in the high-density city ofHarare. Commercial farms, home to government supporters who act with impunity from the law,are particularly dangerous to foreigners. Food and fuel shortages are widespread.