To be sure, there are still reports at this writing of rebels remaining active in the remote northeast of the country, where CAR government officials have accused neighboring Sudan of backing rebel attacks from Darfur. That is why the US State Department had still not amended its Travel Warning at press time. You can read the March 6 warning by going to: http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/tw/tw_940.html.
As I said last month, I am comfortable with the security situation in CAR, and I would go there without hesitation. My view is backed up by reports from the CAR safari operators Editor Barbara Crown was able to reach at press time. They told her the safari season has been problem-free this year so far. Perhaps that is because most of this country's safari areas are far from the town of Birao where all of the troubles have occurred this year. Hunting blocks in the central part of the country and in the southeast have been completely unaffected.
At press time, I should note, we were unable to reach Jean-Pierre Bernon of Club Faune whose western greater kudu areas are closer to Birao. But we did receive a report from subscriber Jay Link whose kudu hunt with Safaria in the north was cancelled due to the rebel activity. Ironically, Link says he wound up being more concerned about Sudanese elephant poachers in the area he was able to hunt than he was about rebels in his originally scheduled area. He says he saw the remains of poached elephants and other sign just about every day, even close to camp. They were cocky and arrogant, says Link. We were on constant high alert due to their activity in the area.
Despite the poachers, Link........(continued)
