Essential cover
It is vital to make sure you have appropriate Burkina Faso insurance before you travel. Political upheaval and terrorist attacks have made this landlocked West African country less safe for foreign visitors and specialist insurance for Burkina Faso is vital.
| Accident and Evacuation | |
|---|---|
| Kidnapping and Ransom | |
| Political Risk |
After years of relative stability, a brief military coup in 2015 followed by a change in political leadership, plus terrorist insurgency from the North, has made the country a riskier place to operate. Terrorist attacks on the French Embassy and restaurants and hotels popular with foreigners have resulted in casualties in recent years.
Although the capital, Ouagadougou, may feel relatively safe when you arrive, the FCDO advises that terrorists are very likely to try to carry out attacks here. The northern areas are more overtly dangerous – and this is where most of our clients are – involved in mining, power and infrastructure projects.
To protect your people properly you must have Personal Accident cover and International Health insurance with options for terrorism and political violence. Malaria, dengue fever and meningitis are common and road traffic accidents on poor roads are another risk.
Kidnap is also a real risk for foreign nationals. Burkina Faso contributes to the UN peacekeeping initiative in Mali (MINUSMA) and is therefore considered a legitimate target by Al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQ-M) and its associated groups. Four western nationals were rescued from a kidnapping situation in 2019. We would therefore highly recommend Kidnap & Ransom insurance that can provide you with security briefings before you go and professional support should the worse happen. (See How the Professionals Handle Kidnaps for an insight into a real life kidnap scenario.)
We can also help to provide tailored protection for assets, property or equipment, including Political Risk against losses caused by unforeseen government action in the future.
The Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) in the UK regularly updates its advice to British travellers about immediate risks.