May 13, 2015
The U.S. Embassy alerts U.S. citizens that Burundi has closed its land borders until further notice. The International Airport is currently closed. Brussels Airlines cancelled tonight’s flight from Bujumbura to Brussels, and its flight coming in from Brussels has been rerouted to Nairobi. Kenya Airways and RwandAir have cancelled their flights until further notice. The U.S. Embassy also confirms that land borders have been closed until further notice.
The U.S. Embassy strongly recommends that U.S. citizens traveling to or residing in Burundi 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 to contact you in an emergency. If you do not have Internet access, enroll directly with the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate.
Regularly monitor the State Department’s website where you can find the current Worldwide Caution, Travel Warnings, including the Travel Warning for Burundi, Travel Alerts, and Country Specific Information for Burundi. For additional information, refer to the “Traveler’s Checklist” on the State Department’s website.
Contact the U.S. Embassy for up-to-date information on travel restrictions. You can also call 1-888-407-4747 toll-free from within 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 to have travel information at your fingertips.
The U.S. Embassy in Bujumbura is located on the corner of Avenue des Etats-Unis and Avenue du Cinquantenaire, and is open from 7:30 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Friday. The telephone number is +257-22-20-7000. If you are a U.S. citizen in need of urgent assistance, call the U.S. Embassy’s emergency number: +257-22-20-7318, or +257-79-93-88-41.