Tanzania 2020 OSAC Crime & Safety Report

Tanzania 2020 OSAC Crime & Safety Report This is an annual report produced in conjunction with the Regional Security Office at the U.S. Embassy in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. OSAC encourages travelers to use this report to gain baseline knowledge of security conditions in Tanzania. For more in-depth information, review OSAC’s Tanzania country page for original OSAC reporting, consular messages, and contact information, some of which may be available only to private-sector representatives with an OSAC password. Travel Advisory The current U.S. Department of State Travel Advisory at the date of this report’s publication assesses Tanzania at Level 2, indicating travelers should exercise increased caution. Review OSAC’s report, Understanding the Consular Travel Advisory System. Overall Crime and Safety Situation Crime Threats The U.S. Department of State has assessed Dar es Salaam as being a CRITICAL-threat location for crime directed at or affecting official U.S. government interests. Street crime is rampant in the country’s urban areas, including in Dar es Salaam. Most incidents are crimes of opportunity, targeting people carrying bags, backpacks, computer cases, cameras, purses, or items left in plain sight inside a vehicle. Most of these snatch-and-grab crimes involve unarmed assailants. Assailants tend to operate in small groups, where only one person may overtly take part in a mugging. If the victim resists, additional members may appear with a knife, a machete, or, on occasion, a firearm. Review OSAC’s reports, All That You Should Leave Behind. Bag snatchings from passing vehicles are extremely common and can be dangerous, particularly if the victim is using a bag with a cross-body strap. Few sidewalks exist, so pedestrians must walk on the street; assailants drive near their intended victim, and an assailant grabs a bag and may drag the victim until the bag’s strap breaks. Many tourists, expatriates, and Tanzanians have suffered injuries as a result, from minor road rash to extensive injuries. In at least one case, a foreign visitor died in such an incident. Residential burglaries are common. Inadequate perimeter walls, minimal lighting, non-existent/weak grilles, and poorly paid/trained guards who often fall asleep contribute to security challenges. Home invasions involving multiple assailants who overpower lone/sleeping guards have become somewhat common in Dar es Salaam. Review OSAC’s reports, Hotels: The Inns and Outs and Considerations for Hotel Security. Although accurate statistics are limited, local reports and anecdotal evidence suggest that violent crime is rising. U.S. citizens have reported violent crimes that often result in physical harm. Sexual assault and rape are of particular concern, notably in Zanzibar. The overwhelming majority of sexual assault/rape victims are Tanzanian nationals; however, rape and murder of expatriates have occurred, including incidents perpetrated during home invasions. A rash of robberies of tourists en route to the airport underscores the likelihood that that criminals target foreigners not just because tourists generally have money and goods, but in the unlikely event of capture, criminals know that most tourists will depart the country and not return to testify against them in court. Tanzania 2020 OSAC Crime & Safety Report Avoid walking/biking near Touré Drive, Coco Beach, Ubungo Bus Station, South Beach Ferry area, or any place where there are not houses/buildings on both sides of the road. Avoid pedestrian activity after dark, when crime spikes. Crimes against children and people with albinism, including murder, occur due to suspected witchcraft. There are scams involving offers to arrange volunteer visas and safari excursions. Vet anyone offering to provide you such a service and check their references carefully. Hire only legitimate tour guides, preferably arranged by a known travel agency or hotel. Be wary of offers of sightseeing from new contacts and avoid being alone with strangers who propose special, customized sightseeing trips. Practice common sense and remain vigilant regarding your surroundings. Review OSAC’s reports, The Overseas Traveler’s Guide to ATM Skimmers & Fraud and Taking Credit. Cybersecurity Issues Review OSAC’s reports, Cybersecurity Basics, Best Practices for Maximizing Security on Public Wi-Fi, Traveling with Mobile Devices: Trends & Best Practices, and Satellite Phones: Critical or Contraband? Transportation-Safety Situation Road Safety and Road Conditions Traffic laws exist, but police only randomly enforce them, and the majority of drivers generally do not follow them. Traffic police will often cause confusion and traffic build-up by overriding road signals at intersections. Roadway conditions are extremely poor. During rainy season, large holes appear quickly, with entire sections of road washing away due to poor construction. If driving around Dar es Salaam late at night, be especially cautious when stopped at traffic lights. To avoid assault at isolated intersections, some drivers refuse to stop at lights, proceeding cautiously after slowing down. Intersections may be very dangerous at night, regardless of which color shows on the traffic signal. Avoid driving outside of cities at night; emergency response services are largely non-existent, and highways are dark and often lack maintenance. Non-existent or inadequate roadway lighting, gaping potholes, and inefficient traffic laws often lead to accidents, especially after dark. Quality emergency medical care is not readily available, leading to a high vehicular mortality rate. Lock your car doors and roll your windows up at all times to avoid robbery. Refill your gas tank anytime it is half-full to avoid running out of gas at an inopportune time/place. When traveling long distances, anticipate mechanical problems and be prepared to perform maintenance in an emergency. Review OSAC’s reports, Road Safety Abroad, Driving Overseas: Best Practices, and Evasive Driving Techniques; and read the State Department’s webpage on driving and road safety abroad. Tanzania 2020 OSAC Crime & Safety Report Public Transportation Conditions Avoid public transportation (e.g. buses, bajaj, motorcycles, and daladalas). Buses are often overloaded and lack proper maintenance; bus drivers are often exhausted. Three-wheel taxi vehicles (bajaj) and motorcycles are also often in shoddy condition and offer little protection to passengers. Accidents involving these modes of transportation could result in serious injury/death. Ask local partners to book a legitimate car service or to arrange for your transportation. Do not hail taxis on the street; only take legitimate taxis from a car service, hotel, or restaurant. Photograph the front or back of the taxi showing the license plate and send it to a friend. Ask for the driver's name and cell (implying future business) and send it to a friend. Test the doors and windows before you get in. Child- locked doors and tinted windows are a bad sign; find another taxi. Do not allow people you just met to hail a taxi for you, and do not take taxis that already have other passengers. If a taxi stops for gas, or attempts to pick up other passengers, get out. Ride-hailing services are now operating in Tanzania via mobile apps and provide many of the recommended mitigation techniques within the application. Aviation/Airport Conditions Immigration authorities heavily scrutinize foreigners, including long-term businesspeople, volunteers at NGOs, or tourists suspected of volunteering or engaging in business while on tourist visas. Increasingly, immigration authorities proactively seek out foreigners to check on their immigration status. Immigration laws and consistent application thereof are dynamic at best; local officers may seek to impose a large fine – currently $600 – or may ask for an informal fine, which presumably goes only to the officer. Remain very mindful of immigration rules, notably that one may not conduct volunteering activities on a tourist visa, and that anyone in Tanzania for business must conclude travels within 90 days or obtain a work permit. Review OSAC’s report, Security In Transit: Airplanes, Public Transport, and Overnights. Terrorism Threat The U.S. Department of State has assessed Dar es Salaam as being a HIGH-threat location for terrorism directed at or affecting official U.S. government interests. Terrorism is a reality in East Africa generally, and a growing concern in Tanzania specifically. Terrorist incidents highlight the continuing threat and the capacity of terrorist groups to conduct attacks. A violent extremist movement steadily growing in northern Mozambique has been a significant concern over the last few years. The movement has included active recruitment throughout Tanzania. Terrorists claiming affiliation with ISIS crossed the southern border and executed six local villagers in late 2019. Tanzania 2020 OSAC Crime & Safety Report In 2017, Tanzania experienced a series of domestic terrorist attacks, primarily on police and low-level ruling party officials in the coastal region of Pwani. Security services led efforts to address the situation, primarily through an increased presence in the area and the establishment of a Special Police Zone around Kibiti and Rufiji towns. Authorities killed over a dozen suspected perpetrators, as well as the alleged mastermind of the attacks, in the outskirts of Dar es Salaam, and arrested more than 120 others suspected of being part of the organization. Authorities have pushed the main element of this organization

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