Kigali, Rwanda: 2006 Crime and Safety Report

OVERALL SECURITY SITUATION

Threats to the safety of Americans in Rwanda range from minor pickpocketing to armed robbery/attack. Kigali currently has a "medium" crime rating from the State Department. Most crimes in Rwanda consist of automobile break-ins, pocket-pickings and purse-snatchings. However, there have been cases of armed robberies, carjackings and home invasions in Kigali. The most significant threat to personal safety in Rwanda is the risk of a car accident. Rwanda is mountainous, and vehicles travel on dangerous and curvy roads and highways at unsafe speeds.

 

 

Political violence in Rwanda has diminished since 2004. The Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), the primary source of past political violence, has diminished as a direct military threat and has not conducted any attacks or acts of violence within Rwanda since 2004. However, there are an estimated eight to twelve thousand FDLR combatants in eastern Congo who continue to destabilize the region. While FDLR leadership has made conciliatory gestures towards the Government of Rwanda, the group has not formally renounced its stated objective of overthrowing the current government by force. 

Members of the precursor to the FDLR, the Army for the Liberation of Rwanda, are on trial in the U.S. for the 1999 murder of two American citizens in Bwindi National Park in Uganda. The U.S. government has designated the FDLR a terrorist organization and supports international efforts to detain and prosecute some FLDR leaders for genocide and crimes against humanity. 

Although there were no reports of FDLR infiltrations in 2005, Americans are cautioned about travel to the Volcanoes National Park to visit the Mountain Gorillas due to the possibility of threats from eastern Congo encroaching into northwest Rwanda. Due in part to a heavy Rwandan military presence in the area, there have been no reported attacks on the Nyungwe road since October 2001. Americans are cautioned that hiking should only be done on the trails north of the Nyungwe Forest road and during daylight hours. However, Americans are advised not to travel through the Nyungwe Forest in Southwest Rwanda during the hours of darkness, and camping in the forest is not recommended at this time. 

 

Mount Nyiragongo, approximately 13 miles northwest of the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo town of Goma and near the Rwandan border, is an active volcano that erupted on January 17, 2002, and is still considered unpredictable. Based on International Rescue Committee and Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance assessments, the 2002 eruption destroyed 20% of Goma, forcing thousands to flee into Rwanda. The Rwandan town of Gisenyi also experienced scattered damage to homes and other infrastructure.

 

Hazardous driving conditions on the steep and curvy roads can be compounded by heavy rains and rapidly descending fog.

 

 

The Rwandan National Police actively support the U.S. Embassy and other Americans in-country. Individual police officers have a high motivation level; however, the organization lacks some specialized skills such as units trained in bomb disposal and police forensics. Its material resources, including vehicles, handcuffs, radios, and office supplies, are limited. American citizens who fall victim to crime or experience problems with the police should call the U.S. Embassy's American Citizen Services (ACS) section and inform the ACS officer of the incident.

 

 

Emergency: 112

Traffic Police: 08311115 or 08311114

Fire Brigade: 08311120

 

Butare Brigade: 08311127

Byumba Brigade: 08311144

Cyangugu Brigade: 08311136

Gikongoro Brigade: 08311131

Gisenyi Brigade: 08311149

Gitarama Brigade: 08311129

Kibungo Brigade: 08311158

Kibuye Brigade: 08311125

MVK Brigade: 08311166

Ruhengeri Brigade: 08311148

Umutara Brigade: 08311146

 

Kigali City: 08311124

 

Remera Brigade: 08311121

Gikondo Brigade: 08311140

Muhima Brigade: 08311122

Nyamirambo Brigade: 08311123

Kicukiro Brigade: 08311117

 

Inspectorate: 08311145

 

 

Medical services available in Kigali are not up to American standards. In case of medical emergency, most mission personnel are evacuated to Nairobi, Kenya. There have been sporadic outbreaks of meningitis in Rwanda. AIDS and malaria are prevalent in Rwanda. Embassy personnel are recommended to take preventive malaria medication one week prior to visiting Rwanda and 4 weeks after departure. It is advisable to have medical evacuation insurance in case of emergency.

 

 

Air Ambulance (Flying Doctor Service) - "AMREF" Nairobi Telephone 254-2-315455/602492/501280

 

King Faycal Hospital in Kigali: (250) 588888

 

Kigali Hospital Center: (250) 575406 or (250) 08300408

 

Ambulance CHK: 75462 or 08521334

 

 

- Vary times and routes to and from work.

 

- Keep doors locked and windows closed at residence and in vehicle.

 

- Maintain a low profile by not doing anything that draws unwanted attention.

 

- Be alert to surroundings and look for possible surveillance of  activities.

 

- Notify others of daily plans and provide contact information.

 

- Do not flash money. When making purchases, carry only what is needed. Poverty is widespread in Rwanda and money tends to draw unwanted attention.

 

Purse-snatchings and pick-pocketing are most common in Kigali's open market area. Money changers on the streets have been known to reject U.S. bills as fake, then surreptitiously switch the bills and return counterfeit currency to unsuspecting customers.

 

Be sure to register with the U.S. Embassy upon arrival in Rwanda or prior to your visit at https://travelregistration.state.gov. Before traveling outside of Kigali, check with the consular section or the RSO for the latest advisories before departing.

 

 

There are two main contract security companies in Kigali: KK Security and Intersec Security. Both companies have 24-hour armed response capability, alarm systems, static guards, mobile patrols and investigators. KK Security is unarmed but includes Rwandan police on its response team; Intersec has armed guard posts. There are two relatively new companies in Kigali: Garsec and Fodey security.

 

 

Embassy: (250) 505601/2/3

 

Marine Security Guard: (250) 505601/2/3 EXT 3232

 

Duty Officer: (250) 08300345

Consular Officer: (250) 08304331

 

Regional Security Officer:(250) 08300542

 

Embassy Health Unit: (250) 505601/2/3 EXT 3219

 

As of mid-2006, there is no OSAC Country Council in Rwanda, although plans for a council inauguration are currently in progress. There are only two substantial U.S. investors, but many nongovernmental organizations operating in-country. RSO and the embassy's Economic Section are prepared to brief potential U.S. private sector representatives regarding the security situation in Rwanda.

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