Americans warned anew vs traveling to Mindanao

The United States has warned its citizens against traveling to Mindanao anew, citing “continuing threats due to terrorist and insurgent activities.”

The US Department of State replaced the travel warning it issued on Nov. 20, 2014, and specifically mentioned areas such as as “the Sulu archipelago, certain regions and cities in the island of Mindanao and the southern Sulu Sea area” as the areas of its concern.

“US citizens should continue to defer non-essential travel to the Sulu Archipelago, due to the high threat of kidnapping of international travelers and violence linked to insurgency and terrorism there,” the travel warning posted on the US state department’s website on May 20, 2015, said.

The US state department detailed the perceived threats in the southern part of the Philippines, telling its nationals to exercise extreme caution if traveling to certain regions and cities of the island of Mindanao, based on “a history and attempted kidnappings of foreigners.”

“US citizens should continue to exercise extreme caution if considering travel in the southern Sulu Sea region from the southern tip of Palawan, along the coast of Sabah, Malaysia and the islands of the Sulu Archipelago, up to Zamboanga City, Mindanao,” it said.

“Separatist and terrorist groups continue to conduct bombings, kidnappings and attacks against civilians, political leaders, and Philippine security forces,” it said.

The travel warning made mention of the Muslim rebels the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), the breakaway group from the Moro Islamic Liberation Front which has entered into a peace deal with the Philippine government.

“In particular, the BIFF remain active in the Cotabato City area, and in the Maguindanao, North Cotabato, and Sultan Kudarat provinces, where the government maintains a state of emergency and a greater police presence,” the travel advisory said.

In the cities of Davao and Surigao, the US noted there have been no recent reported terrorist threats or incidents.

“There have been no reports of US citizens in Mindanao targeted specifically for their nationality; however, general threats to US citizens and other foreigners throughout Mindanao remain a concern,” it said.

Before traveling to Mindanao, and the Sulu Archipelago, embassy employees must receive special authorization from embassy security officials.