AMERICAS

Haiti (Security threat level – 4): As planned, thousands of Haitians staged a protest march in the capital Port-au-Prince on 9 June 2019. Protesters burned tires, erected barricades and set ablaze two police cars and two buildings. Clashes between protesters and security forces also took place near the Presidential Palace, where police officers fired tear gas to disperse the crowd. At least two people were killed during the demonstration and authorities arrested 12 participants. Several opposition and civil society groups organized the march to renew their calls for President Jovenel Moïse’s resignation amid widespread corruption allegations against his administration.

ASIA

China (Security threat level – 3): On 9 June 2019, hundreds of thousands of people marched from Victoria Park to parliament’s Legislative Council building in central Hong Kong to protest a proposed extradition bill. Protest organizers claimed that more than 1 million people participated in the protest throughout the day. Meanwhile, according to official police estimates, approximately 240,000 people participated during the event’s peak. Although the event was largely peaceful, police officers clashed with a group of several hundred protesters who attempted to storm the Legislative Council building in the early hours of 10 June. Police officers reportedly dispersed the crowd with pepper spray. Despite the protests, the government decided to keep the bill for debate, and it will likely pass the legislature. As a result, additional demonstrations are likely in response to developments.

Kazakhstan (Security threat level – 3): On 10 June 2019, small-scale protests continued in Almaty following the release of presidential election results in the country. Several hundred protesters gathered at a public park in the city; police officers arrested several dozen demonstrators, but there were no reports of violence. On the previous day, thousands of people demonstrated in Almaty and the capital Nursultan. Police officers arrested 500 people during the demonstrations, which were organized to protest against the election that occurred earlier that same day.

Interim President Kassym Jomart-Tokayev was declared winner of the election with 71% of the vote on 10 June. Protesters and opposition leaders claim that the election was not free and fair. Monitors from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) documented widespread voting irregularities on election day, along with disregard for fundamental rights.

SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA

Sudan (Security threat level – 5): As of 10 June 2019, opposition protesters are continuing an indefinite nationwide civil disobedience campaign that began on the previous day. The majority of private banks, businesses and markets in the capital Khartoum are closed and public transportation remains limited. Some state banks, public utility service offices in Khartoum and Khartoum International Airport (HSSS/KRT) remain open; however, reports indicate that some airport workers and Sudanese pilots are participating in the strike. Similar disruptions are occurring in other Sudanese cities, including al-Madani, located southeast of Khartoum, and al-Ubayd, located approximately 400 km (250 mi) southwest of Khartoum.

Reports indicate that Rapid Support Forces (RSF) are deployed throughout Khartoum, and have taken control of key infrastructure, including Khartoum’s main power plant. In addition, officials have reportedly shut down the internet across the country.

On 9 June, demonstrators erected roadblocks in the Khartoum metropolitan area in accompaniment with the strike. Police officers in Khartoum’s northern Bahari district used tear gas and fired shots into the air to disperse protesters who attempted to erect barricades. According to the Sudan Doctors’ Committee, at least four protesters were killed throughout the day on 9 June, including two in Khartoum and two in Omdurman.

GOVERNMENT WARNINGS

Haiti (Security threat level – 4): On the morning of 10 June 2019, the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince issued a Security Alert, which reads in part as follows:

Honduras (Security threat level – 4): On 8 June 2019, the U.S. Embassy in Tegucigalpa issued a Demonstration Alert, which reads in part as follows:

Moldova (Security threat level – 3): On 9 June 2019, the U.K. Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) issued updated travel advice for Moldova, which reads in part as follows:

Security threat levels range from 1 (Very Low) to 5 (Very High) and are determined using a comprehensive system that utilizes both qualitative and quantitative analysis. The primary factors used to determine a location’s security threat level are Armed Conflict, Crime, Demonstrations/Strikes, Ethnic/Sectarian Tensions, Graft/Corruption, Kidnapping, Political Instability, Government Restriction and Terrorism.