ethiopia
This country has multiple Health and/or Security risk levels. Please review all the content on the TravelAware page and seek additional guidance from the listed contacts as needed.
travel requirements
Business travel to Ethiopia (other than transit through Bole International Airport) requires Global Security approval. All travelers who are not transiting must take the following actions:
- As early as possible in trip planning, consult Global Security for assistance in assessing and managing the risks associated with a proposed itinerary
- Following consultation with Global Security, company personnel can make their own travel bookings through CTREX or authorized travel agencies
- Once travel has been booked and confirmed, inform the local Chevron office and Global Security of their travel plans in writing
contacts
Click on the link below for all location specific contacts to support travel coordination, approvals, security and medical questions. Please save this information before you travel.
travel security risks
The capital Addis Ababa is generally stable, but travelers face potential risks from crime, social unrest, regional instability and terrorism. While violent crime is limited, petty crime, including pick-pocketing and bag-snatching, is relatively common in Addis Ababa and other areas. The U.S. State Department reports recent assaults on foreigners in the Bole area of the capital. They also caution about traveling to Entoto Park, Yeka Park (behind the British Embassy), and Guellele Botanical Gardens, the Mercato market and major malls and shopping areas catering to wealthier Ethiopians and expatriates.
The government and northern rebels are in the middle of a complex peace process to end a war in the north of the country. Large-scale military conflict broke out in the northern Tigray region of Ethiopia in early November 2020. Tigrayan insurgents, known as the Tigray Defense Forces (TDF), fired missiles at regional airports in Ethiopia and at the international airport in Asmara, Eritrea. In late 2021, the TDF reached the outskirts of Addis Ababa. In response, the government reinforced its defenses in the area and Western embassies evacuated some of their personnel.
Banditry and highway robbery are risks in border areas, which are also subject to other forms of instability. Al-Shabab - a Somalia-based, Al-Qaeda-linked Islamic extremist group - is active in areas on the Ethiopia-Somali border and has threatened to carry out attacks elsewhere in Ethiopia. The Ogaden National Liberation Front is also active in eastern Ethiopia and engages in occasional skirmishes with Ethiopian security forces.
healthcare infrastructure and disease risks
The Chevron healthcare infrastructure and disease risk level for Ethiopia is B. Click here for International SOS health guidance.
guidance
Visitors to Ethiopia should exercise caution and take the following precautions:
- Avoid political gatherings
- Maintain high levels of situational awareness
- Monitor news for late breaking developments
- Avoid travel after dark
- Abstain from displays of cash/valuables
- Minimize your profile by not displaying Chevron-related logos on your belongings
- Be prepared for additional security measures and potential travel disruptions
- All staff should ensure that their contact details are up to date before travel to Ethiopia
Employees should be aware that information security risks can be greater during travel, as third parties present in foreign countries may monitor communications and transmissions.
Employees are advised to avoid communications on sensitive matters and to travel with as little sensitive information as possible.