AMERICAS

Mexico (Security threat level – 4): On 8 March 2022, multiple demonstrations are expected to occur throughout Mexico to coincide with International Women’s Day. In the capital Mexico City, a march organized by Amnesty International is scheduled to begin at 1630 local time (2230 UTC) at the Ángel of Independencia roundabout and proceed to Zócalo square. Additional protests are scheduled to occur at various locations in the city from the late morning hours through the late afternoon hours. The gathering sites include Monumento a la Independencia; the Glorieta de los Insurgentes roundabout; the Milpa Alta district; the Tláhuac subway station; and the Xochimilco clock tower. Sporadic demonstrations could also occur in other locations. Travelers in the city should plan for significant traffic disruptions and avoid all gatherings, as protests commemorating International Women’s Day have turned violent in the past.

EUROPE

Ireland (Security threat level – 2): At approximately 1330 local time/UTC on 7 March 2022, a truck plowed into the main gate of the Russian Embassy in Dublin. No injuries resulted from the incident and police officers at the scene immediately arrested the driver. Local authorities stated that the driver acted alone and the incident was not connected to terrorism, but was a protest to denounce the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The Russian Embassy in Dublin has been the site of several large-scale demonstrations since the beginning of Russian military actions against Ukraine on 24 February.

Ukraine (Security threat level – 5): As of 8 March 2022, Russian troops in Ukraine continue their attempt to encircle the capital Kyiv by advancing eastward and westward, including in the areas of Irpin and Brovary. Russia-backed separatists in southern Ukraine continue to shell the cities of Odesa, Mykolayiv, Mariupol and Zaporizhzhya, causing severe infrastructural damage and casualties. In the north, the cities of Kharkiv and Chernihiv also experienced heavy shelling and high casualty numbers.

Following the third round of talks between Russian and Ukrainian negotiators, civilians are being evacuated from the cities of Sumy and Mariupol. Russia agreed to halt attacks and allow safe corridors for evacuation until 2100 local time (1900 UTC) on 8 March, although there have been reports of shelling on escape routes. Media reports indicate that civilians in the city of Zaporizhzhia, located in southeastern Ukraine, are being evacuated. Ukrainian officials report that thousands of residents have evacuated from the northeastern city of Sumy to the central city of Poltava. The Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees estimates that nearly 2 million people have fled Ukraine to bordering countries since 24 February. According to a Ukrainian official, Russian shelling has so far damaged or destroyed 202 schools, 34 hospitals and more than 1,500 residential buildings, while approximately 1,000 communities have lost access to electricity and water.

Emerging reports on 8 March indicate that U.S. President Joe Biden plans to declare a ban on imports of oil from Russia as early as later in the day. Russia’s deputy prime minister announced the previous day that Russia, which supplies Europe with 40% of its gas, may close the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline to Germany if Western countries ban Russian energy exports.

SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA

Mali (Security threat level – 5): On 7 March 2022, a. logistical convoy belonging to the U.N. Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) struck a roadside improvised explosive device in an area located north of the central city of Mopti. The convoy was en route to Timbuktu, situated approximately 400 km (250 mi) to the north. The explosion killed two Egyptian peacekeepers and wounded four others. The blast followed a separate attack launched by Islamist militants hours earlier on Malian troops stationed in the Gao region, which resulted in two deaths.

Nigeria (Security threat level – 5): On the night of 6-7 March 2022, gunmen riding motorcycles ambushed members of local vigilante groups in the northwestern state of Kebbi. Local reports indicate that the vigilantes were pursuing the gunmen who had stolen cattle and kidnapped people from the Zuru locality at the time. At least 63 people were killed in the event. The ambush is the most fatal assault in the state since mid-January 2022.

Rwanda (Security threat level – 3): On 7 March 2022, the Rwandan government reopened all land borders following a decrease in reported cases of COVID-19. Travelers are now allowed into Rwanda through land border crossings from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda and Tanzania. According to the prime minister’s office, authorities will randomly select passengers to take a COVID-19 test upon arrival in Rwanda. The Rwanda-Burundi land border closure has remained in place since 2015 due to tense relations between the two countries related to various factors, such as targeted violence against Rwandans in Burundi.