State Department Issues Travel Warning for Egypt



Egyption Polls in 2012/UN Women via Flickr CC

  As the unrest in Egypt continues, the U.S. state department has issued a follow up travel advisory that supersedes the warning issued in July.  The new warning is in concurrence with the declared state of emergency in Egypt.  The government of Egypt has also issued a curfew for citizens and visitors in the country from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m.  Unrest has been prominent in Egypt since there was a revolution to oust the regime of Hosni Mubarak in 2011.  Protests and resistance have flared up during the constitutional changes in 2012, the anniversary of the revolution in January of 2013, and the change in government in June of 2013.  The state department said there is no evidence of the violence and demonstrations subsiding, and that it would be unsafe for Americans to be involved.

  Violent protests have happened predominantly in urban areas; including Cairo, Giza, Alexandria and Port Said.  Reports of violence have spread to rural areas as well, however.  Violence against women is a primary concern, as many women have been subject to sexual assault during anti-government demonstrations.  So far, one American citizen has been killed in the violence, and the state department has had to shut down its embassy on several occasions due to proximity of violence.  Nonessential U.S. personnel have already been sent out of the country.  U.S. Embassy employees and families are restricted from entering the country or traveling to certain parts of the region.

  On July 3, 2013, General Abdul-Fatah al-Sisi removed democratically elected president Mohamed Morsi from power after several weeks of protests.  Morsi is a member of the Muslim Brotherhood party, and clashes between Muslims and non-Muslims have been escalating.  The United States has made a decision not to recognize the event of the military take overas a coup, because that would mean an end to the strategic partnership the U.S. and Egypt have.  The U.S. reaction has been fuel for criticism.
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