Uganda to hold fresh talks with US over Level 4 travel advisory
Kasolo said the Government had already raised the matter with senior US officials during a high-level meeting held on August 28, but the engagement had not resulted in a change to the travel advisory.
The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs incharge of Regional Cooperation, Haruna Kyeyune Kasolo. (File)
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Uganda Government has pledged to intensify diplomatic engagements with the United States to have Uganda removed from the Level 4 “Do not travel” advisory, following concerns that the warning is hurting the country's tourism industry and international travel.
The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs incharge of Regional Cooperation, Haruna Kyeyune Kasolo, on Wednesday, November 11th informed Parliament that Uganda would pursue further discussions with US officials after an earlier engagement failed to secure a downgrade of the advisory.
Kasolo said the Government had already raised the matter with senior US officials during a high-level meeting held on August 28, but the engagement had not resulted in a change to the travel advisory.
He said the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Adonia Ayebare, met the US Deputy Secretary of State, Christopher Landau, and other senior American officials to discuss bilateral relations, including Uganda's response to Ebola and the implications of travel advisories.
“On August 28, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hon. Adonia Ayebare, met with the Deputy Secretary of State, Mr Christopher Landau, and senior US officials and among the issues discussed was the travel advise and how it is economically affecting tourist travel and other international travel,” Kasolo said.
However, Kasolo said the Foreign Affairs Minister used the meeting to raise concerns about the economic consequences of travel advisories, particularly their impact on tourism, international travel and the movement of people.
“The Minister raised concern about the rising economic impact of travel advisories, especially on tourism, international travel and the movement of people. He called for regular communication to ensure that such advisories are informed by scientific evidence and reflect the conditions on the ground,” Kasolo said.
He added that the two sides reaffirmed the strong bilateral relations between Uganda and the United States and pledged to strengthen cooperation for the mutual benefit of their people.
According to Kasolo, the US officials commended Uganda's response to the Ebola outbreak and reaffirmed the longstanding relationship between the two countries in responding to public health emergencies.
He said both sides had committed to continued cooperation in health matters, but acknowledged that the initial diplomatic engagement had not achieved the desired outcome regarding the advisory.
“Now that the first engagement has not worked, I pledge to continue with more engagements, and we shall update Parliament on any achievements,” he said.
The US Level 4 classification is its highest travel advisory category and advises American citizens against travelling to a country. Such advisories can influence travel decisions, insurance arrangements and perceptions of a destination among international visitors.
Kasolo was responding to concerns raised by Boniface Okot (Kole South County), who questioned why Uganda was still classified under the highest US travel warning despite the World Health Organisation (WHO) and Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) confirming the end of the Ebola outbreak.
Okot asked the Minister of Foreign Affairs to urgently brief Parliament on the Government's efforts to persuade the US to review its assessment of Uganda.
He said the continued advisory was sending a negative signal about Uganda's safety and undermining the tourism sector, with industry stakeholders raising concerns about its economic implications.
“Why is Uganda still on the list when the country was cleared by WHO and the Africa CDC?” Okot asked, urging Government to take up the matter with the US authorities.
The WHO and Africa CDC confirmed on August 27 that Uganda's Ebola outbreak had ended after 42 consecutive days without a new confirmed case.