WASHINGTON, Jan. 17 (UPI) -- The government of the Central African Republic can't guarantee the safety of visitors during the campaign season, the U.S. State Department warned.
The Central African Republic has presidential and legislation elections Sunday. The State Department warned U.S. citizens against all but essential travel in areas of the country outside the capital, Bangui.
"Travelers in the CAR should exercise extreme caution," the warning read.
The State Department said the Central African Republic government can't provide safety for visitors against possible attacks from militants. The Lord's Resistance Army, the main rebel group in the area, is known to attack game hunters in the eastern part of the country, the warning added.
Human Rights Watch said last year that it discovered through independent interviews that the Lord's Resistance Army abducted nearly 700 people in the Central African Republic and parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo over the course of a year.
The State Department said U.S. citizens in the Central African Republic should remain vigilant during the campaign season. The first round of voting is set for Sunday. Final results for presidential and legislative elections are scheduled for April 15.
