By Dayo Yussuf
The US has just updated its travel advisory to Uganda citing risks of violence due to crime, terrorism, and anti-LGBTQI+ legislation. It urged its citizens to ‘’reconsider travel to Uganda due to crime, terrorism and anti-LGBTQ+ legislation.’’
However, this did not come as a surprise to many. The US has been issuing these advisories willy-nilly which analysts say have lost their meaning.
‘‘These travel advisories issued by the west are much ado over nothing,’’ says Dr. Adams Bornah, security expert in Ghana.
‘‘They issue them quarterly or biannually, but they never stop anything. They only cause confusion and people are still travelling constantly to the same countries they are being advised against,’’ He adds.
Ignoring back yard
Travel advisories are issued mostly by countries to caution their nationals on where to go and where not to go. They advise on how to behave in certain areas or around certain people depending on their analysis of the security situation in those areas.
However some countries in the west, the US in particular has been issuing these advisories at random, sometimes raising questions on the real motives behind them.
Dr Adams says it is much worse in their own back yard than where they are pointing fingers.
‘‘For example, they tell people not to go to parts of Africa, but have you seen New York or Washington DC? The violence there is worse than what happens in Burkina Faso. They have their own challenges they should focus on.’’ He says.
‘‘There are more cases of knife violence in London than in Somalia,’’ he adds.
The governments of Nigeria and South Africa last year hit back at some Western countries including the US when they warned their citizens against travelling to some parts of Nigeria including the capital Abuja as well as parts of South Africa.
The US has issued more than 40 travel advisories in various parts of the world this year alone.
Towing the line
However, according to security analyst Dr. Adams, the same people they claim to protect do not trust their word.
‘‘Just go to Northern Nigeria, or even parts of Cameroon and Somalia. See how many Americans are there. You cannot stop people from moving around.’’ Says Dr Adams.
Analysts also say some of these travel advisories are a means to arm twist developing countries to oblige to their policies and well as scare away potential investors from them – thereby affecting their economic development.
‘‘As far as I am concerned, these people are only creating confusion while they hide behind international security and safety,’’ says Dr. Adams. ‘‘When you disagree with them or they feel like you are not towing the line, they come up with these pronouncements to help them push their own agendas.’’
Be bold
The new revision of the US travel advisory refers to the recent anti- homosexuality law passed by the Ugandan parliament that stipulates tougher penalties.
However, President Museveni has repeatedly defended the law criminalising LGBT+ advertising practices.
‘‘In Uganda, sex is confidential, even heterosexual sex. Therefore if a homosexual keeps his being to himself or confidentially seeks assistance from the doctors or priests, it will not offend this law,’’ the Ugandan president said.
According to Security expert Dr. Adams, African leaders should be firm on their stance despite intimidation by the so-called powerful countries. Western countries including the US are not ''as safe as they claim to be,'' he says.
‘‘Leaders in Africa need to be bold enough to resist being pushed around. They need to tell their people the truth about the situation in these western countries as well,'' says Dr Adams.
