The United States has warned Americans travelling to Bahrain of potential unrest in the Gulf kingdom as the anniversary of a failed pro-democracy uprising approaches.
The travel alert does not specifically mention the anniversary of the uprising on Feb 14 last year when protesters, mainly from Bahrain’s majority Shi’ite population, took to the streets of Manama to demand political rights.
The country is dominated by the ruling Al Khalifa dynasty, a Sunni family closely allied to other Gulf rulers, and a bulwark against Shia Iran’s influence in the Arabian peninsula. It is also home to the US Fifth Fleet.
The US State Department said the Bahrain government had recently refused entry to some US citizens at Manama airport and that US embassy employees were being relocated within the country because of violent demonstrations.
It also noted what it called “isolated examples” of anti-US sentiment such as flag burning during protests and warned that foreigners could become targets.
“The Department of State strongly urges US citizens to avoid all demonstrations, as even peaceful ones can quickly become unruly, and a foreigner could become a target of harassment or worse,” the alert, which runs to April 19, said.
It warned of spontaneous and sometimes violent anti-government demonstrations by protesters throwing rocks and petrol bombs, lighting trash cans and blocking highways.
“The Ministry of Interior maintains official checkpoints in some areas and routinely uses tear gas, stun grenades, and other crowd control measures against demonstrators,” it said.
Washington stood behind Bahrain’s government during the protests, while removing its support for rulers in Egypt and Tunisia. However, it has made an arms deal contingent on political reform.
The protest movement was crushed after a month when Saudi troops entered Bahrain to back the government, followed by nearly two months of martial law.
The United States said Monday it is relocating embassy staff and their families to new neighborhoods in Bahrain’s capital Manama as part of safety precautions amid anti-government unrest.
Tensions have remained high in Bahrain since a brutal government crackdown on pro-democracy protests in mid-March led to the death of 35 people. Sporadic violence has been on the upturn in recent weeks.
“The recent increase in violent demonstrations along the Budaiya Highway corridor has led to traffic disruptions, effectively restricting travel for those living in the area,” the State Department said in a new travel alert.
“The resulting inability to leave one’s home for an extended period poses significant safety and security concerns,” it said.
“As a result, embassy employees and their dependents are being relocated to different neighborhoods,” according to the alert that supersedes one issued on November 18 last year.
“We continue to urge US citizens to follow the latest security guidance and to avoid demonstrations.”