The U.S. embassy has received reports that the body of Andre Mba Obame has not departed for Oyem as originally scheduled. There are large crowds and a heavy police presence near the Leon Mba International airport. U.S. citizens are urged to continue avoiding the area around the airport and to exercise caution within the vicinity of any political rallies or demonstrations. We remind U.S. citizens that this event is fluid and even events intended to be peaceful can turn confrontational and escalate into violence.
Review your personal security plans; remain aware of your surroundings, including local events; and monitor local news stations for updates. Maintain a high level of vigilance, take appropriate steps to enhance your personal security, and follow local authorities’ instructions.
We strongly recommend that U.S. citizens traveling to or residing in Gabon or São Tomé and Príncipe enroll in the Department of State’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP). STEP enrollment gives you the latest security updates, and makes it easier for the U.S. embassy or nearest U.S. consulate to contact you in an emergency. If you don’t have Internet access, enroll directly with the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate.
Regularly monitor the State Department’s website, where you can find current Travel Warnings, Travel Alerts, and the Worldwide Caution. Read the Country Specific Information for Gabon.
For additional information, refer to the “Traveler’s Checklist” on the State Department’s website.
Contact the U.S. embassy or consulate for up-to-date information on travel restrictions. You can also call 1-888-407-4747 toll-free in the United States and Canada or 1-202-501-4444 from other countries. These numbers are available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays). Follow us on Twitter and Facebook as well.
You can stay in touch and get Embassy updates by checking the U.S. Embassy Libreville web site. Please sign up for our emergency text messaging system. The Embassy can now send text messages to enrolled U.S. citizens in Gabon through Clickatell. This allows us to quickly distribute urgent information, and to do it from a site other than the Embassy if necessary. Because this service is provided by a private company, we must have your permission to give them your phone number. If you would like to sign up, please send us an email (LibrevilleACS@state.gov) indicating your permission and which local phone number we should use. We will load only your first name, phone number, and warden zone into the Clickatell address book. No additional personal information is required. Please note that this service is not currently available for the Azur network in Gabon or in São Tomé and Príncipe.
The U.S. Embassy in Libreville is located at BP 4000 in Sabliere across from Hotel Onomo. It can be reached at +241 01-45-71-00 during business hours. For after-hours emergencies, U.S. citizens should call +241 07-38-01-71 and ask to speak with the duty officer.
