Voice of America - One-Minute Features

WHO Team Investigating Coronavirus Origin Begins Work

Thu, 28 Jan 2021 09:22:43 GMT

World Health Organization investigators exited a two-week quarantine Thursday in Wuhan, China, to begin their work in search of the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The international team boarded a bus after exiting their hotel in the afternoon.

China, which for months rejected calls for an international probe, has pledged adequate access for the researchers. The team is expected to spend several weeks interviewing people from research institutes, hospitals and a market linked to many of the first cases.

The WHO has said the purpose of the mission is not to assign blame for the pandemic but to figure out how it started in order to better prevent and combat future outbreaks of disease.

“We are looking for the answers here that may save us in the future, not culprits and not people to blame,” Mike Ryan, the WHO’s top emergencies official, said earlier this month.

The novel coronavirus emerged in Wuhan in late 2019 and has since spread across the world, infecting more than 100 million people and killing about 2.1 million.

More than 120 countries have called for an independent investigation into the origins of the virus, with many governments accusing China of not doing enough to contain its spread.

"It's imperative that we get to the bottom of the early days of the pandemic in China, and we've been supportive of an international investigation that we feel should be robust and clear," White House spokesperson Jen Psaki said Wednesday.

There continue to be concerns in many countries about access to and supplies of the vaccines that have been developed to protect people from COVID-19.

Japan’s top government spokesperson said Thursday that AstraZeneca will make more than 90 million doses of its vaccine in Japan.

"We believe it is very important to be able to produce the vaccines domestically," Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato told reporters.

Like many countries already carrying out vaccination campaigns, Japan plans to prioritize front-line medical workers when it begins administering the shots in late February.

Japan has arranged to buy 120 million doses of the vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University. The vaccine requires a two-shot regiment for each person.

The European Union and AstraZeneca have clashed this week after the company said it would have to cut planned deliveries to the EU due to production delays.

EU officials are demanding the doses be delivered on time and have threatened to put export controls on vaccines made in EU territory.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Wednesday that EU President Ursula von der Leyen assured him any EU actions would not affect shipments to Canada.

Another source of widespread concern is a number of variants of the virus that have been discovered.

Colombia says it will ban flights from Brazil starting Friday because of a variant circulating there.

Colombian President Ivan Duque said the measure would be in place for 30 days. Anyone who recently arrived in Colombia from Brazil is also being required to quarantine for two weeks.

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African Beat

Thu, 28 Jan 2021 09:00:00 GMT

Myanmar’s Military Refuses to Rule Out Coup Over Election Fraud Claims

Thu, 28 Jan 2021 08:43:11 GMT

Myanmar’s powerful military on Tuesday declined to rule out staging a coup over its claim that the country’s 2020 elections were tainted by voter fraud, as experts warned the dispute is leading to a political crisis in the nascent democracy that emerged from harsh army junta rule only a decade ago.

Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy won the Nov. 8 elections in a landslide, but the military-affiliated Union Solidarity and Development Party contends there was widespread voter fraud and has been increasing pressure on electoral authorities to investigate.

The military, whose soldiers are guaranteed 25% of seats in parliament under the constitution, and the USDP, made up of former military officers, claim to have found 8.6 million irregularities in voter lists in 314 townships that could have let voters cast multiple ballots or commit other “voting malpractice.”

But the military and its proxy, the USDP, which fared poorly in the November vote, have not presented any evidence of actual voter fraud on the day of the election. Army and USDP backers have staged protests in several cities in central Myanmar this year.

Major General Zaw Min Tun, the military spokesperson, asked at a weekly news conference whether an army takeover could be ruled out, said: “No. As I said already, the military is going to follow the laws, including the constitution and existing laws. In order to strengthen the democratic system, we are going to follow and reflect those laws.”

Asked to clarify, he said: “What I want to say is that we do not say the military will seize state power nor do we say we will not seize power. We will follow the laws in accordance with the constitution.”

'There are options to file complaints'

Myanmar’s constitution, enacted in 2008 under military rule, contains a provision that allows the military’s commander-in-chief to wield sovereign power during a state of emergency that could lead to a disintegration of the country.

Some critics have said this makes a military coup technically legal, though the state of emergency would have to be declared by Myanmar’s president, a civilian.

Zaw Min Tun reiterated the military’s demand that the ruling government, the Union Election Commission and the Union parliament resolve the election disputes, claiming all three are manipulating the law to avoid addressing the army’s contentions.

“Whether or not they are manipulating the law, you can clearly see if you read our previous statements,” he said.

“We have clarified this issue from a legal point of view, and we have requested a special parliamentary meeting on the matter. They have refused. We have already released statements on which of their actions are not legal… There are other issues as well. I would like to say that you should all read them again,” Zaw Min Tun said.

Legal experts and the NLD’s members of parliament said that the dispute over potential voter fraud should be settled in the courts.

“If they are unsatisfied with the ongoing disputes about the election results, there are options to file complaints under the election law,” Aung Thein, an NLD member of parliament told RFA’s Myanmar Service.

“I think they need to take that route. There is no legal mandate that the UEC must respond and answer to each separate question. If what they are doing is not in line with the law, the military has to act according to the law. … If the government authorities have to come forward and give an explanation whenever the military makes an allegation at a press conference, there will be no end to it,” Aung Thein said.

But disputing the election’s results after the fact is not helping the country come together according to Zin Mar Oo from the Myanmar Network for Free and Fair Elections.

“It won’t be so complicated if we stick to the mandate that the UEC’s decision is final no matter what,” Zin Mar Oo told RFA.

“They didn’t say anything when the authorities initially compiled the voters list. But now that the election is over, they are playing the blame game. It does not make any sense,” he added.

NLD-military friction

Aung San Suu Kyi’s NLD, which swept the Nov. 8 elections by securing more than 82% of all 1,117 contested seats in the Union, state, and regional legislatures, will form a government and launch Aung San Suu Kyi’s second five-year term around the end of March.

The USDP has refused to accept the results of the vote in which it won only 71 seats, or 6.4%, nationwide.

In response to the allegations, the UEC has been mostly silent, contributing to the risk of a political crisis in the form of tensions between the ruling party and the powerful military. The analysts said that the military is growing more assertive as its claims are ignored by both the ruling party and the UEC.

“There are growing disagreements between the military and the ruling government. In fact, when the military initially released the alleged voting fraud lists for 10 or 11 townships, the ruling government should have reacted by releasing its own lists for these townships to refute their claim,” Ye Htut, a political observer and former minister of information, told RFA.

“This problem should have been resolved much earlier, but now the issue has snowballed over time,” Ye Htut said.

He called on State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi, the military leaders and the UEC to resolve the issue at the negotiating table, saying he was concerned that the dispute could grow to the point where it causes political instability or has negative effects on the economy.

The NLD rejected the notion that the UEC’s lack of response was causing any friction with the military.

“The UEC made a decision within its authority. I don’t think its inaction is pushing the NLD and the military into crisis. It really depends on the perspective of the observers,” NLD spokesperson Myo Nyunt told RFA.

“I don’t think the UEC’s actions have any effect on the national reconciliation work between the NLD and the military,” he said.

Zaw Min Tun, however, hinted during Tuesday’s press conference that the UEC’s silence was making a strained relationship worse.

“You could judge by the example of the relationship between two people. If you treat me fairly but I ignore your demands for your rights and opportunities, will you and I have a good relationship?” he asked.

“Just think about it. This is the basis. I don’t want to say anything else,” Zaw Min Tun said.

Aung Moe Zaw, chairman of the Democratic Party for New Society, one of the country’s minor political parties, said he didn’t think the voter fraud dispute would affect the country’s most urgent issues.

“I only think the UEC needs to come forward and resolve this problem,” he told RFA.

RFA attempted to reach the UEC and presidential office spokesperson Zaw Htay for comment, but they did not respond.

The dispute is drawing attention away from more urgent issues Myanmar faces, according to Sai Nyunt Lwin, the vice chairman of the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy, a political party that advocates for Myanmar’s largest ethnic minority.

“In a time like this, the only and most critical issue should be national reconciliation,” Sai Nyunt Lwin told RFA, referring to ongoing fighting between the military and ethnic insurgent groups in the country’s western areas.

“I think it is best if they meet and calmly discuss this issue. They should have face-to-face meetings for better communication,” he said.

Intervention by the military is troubling to many in Myanmar, which endured brutal, corrupt military rule from 1962 to 2011. In 1990, the military nullified the results of an election in which the NLD won 81% of the seats in parliament, holding Aung San Suu Kyi under house arrest for 15 years between 1989 and 2010.

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Biden’s Challenge: Navigating Filibuster and Reconciliation

Thu, 28 Jan 2021 06:17:51 GMT

One of the consistent themes during Joe Biden’s campaign for president and since he won and was inaugurated has been a desire to find bipartisan agreement with Republicans on his agenda items.

“The American system contemplates that there has to be cooperation to get most things done,” said Chris Edelson, assistant professor in the School of Government at American University.

The false claims by former President Donald Trump that the election was stolen and the votes by Republicans in Congress casting doubt on the election “creates a special challenge for President Biden, and one with no easy solution,” he added.

“Joe Biden spent 36 years in the Senate and has a very warm relationship with the body and a veneration for it,” said Norm Ornstein, emeritus scholar at the American Enterprise Institute. “During the campaign and since his election, he said that he believes he can find Republicans to work with. The initial picture is not as rosy.”

If the Democrats hold majorities — slim as they are — in both Houses of Congress, why do they need Republicans to get things done?

Filibuster

Majority parties almost always get their way in the 435-seat House of Representatives. That is because the rules are written to favor the majority party.

In the Senate, long-standing rules protect the minority party’s voice. The filibuster is one such rule. It allows a minority of senators to prevent a vote on an issue by continuing to debate it.

Senate rules require three-fifths of the Senate — 60 senators — to vote to end the debate.

The way the Senate stands now, 10 Republicans need to agree with all 50 Senate Democrats just to hold a vote to get much of Biden’s agenda enacted.

But there are rules to allow Biden and Democrats to get around the filibuster: reconciliation.

Reconciliation

Reconciliation is an arcane process that dates to the 1970s, allowing legislation to bypass the filibuster, as long as it deals with budget issues.

This includes raising or cutting taxes and changing priorities for government spending.

Senate debate for a reconciliation bill is limited, with just a simple majority needed to pass. With Vice President Kamala Harris presiding, Democrats hold the tiebreaker in the split Senate.

Reconciliation has its limits. It can only be done once per fiscal year and could leave out key Biden goals like immigration reform and passing a new voting rights act.

Kill the filibuster?

Preserving the filibuster is so important to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell that he held up passage of an organizing resolution seeking a promise that Democrats would not use their slim majority to get rid of it.

Democrats Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona have indicated they will not vote to eliminate the filibuster.

While Biden has been quiet about it lately, Republicans tweeted part of his Senate speech from 2005, in which he said the filibuster “is not about stopping a nominee or a bill, it is about compromise and moderation.”

But as vice president, Biden saw the filibuster used to thwart President Barack Obama’s agenda and be a useful campaign tool.

“When the filibuster was used over and over in 2009 and 2010, in the next midterm election, Republicans won more seats in the House than they had in 100 years,” Ornstein said. “And then after Obama won reelection, it was used again. And in the midterm that followed, they won back the Senate. So, their game plan that's to obstruct has worked in the past, and it's likely they're going to try it again.”

Biden navigated those rules of the Senate for 36 years. How he plays by them now will test the success of his presidency. 

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Experts: Iran Eyes Reuniting Its 'Axis of Resistance'

Thu, 28 Jan 2021 00:42:56 GMT

Ongoing talks about restoring ties between the Syrian government and the Palestinian militant group Hamas are part of a new attempt by Iran to revitalize a regional alliance, some experts say.

Iran and its proxy militia groups in the Middle East refer to their alliance as the “Axis of Resistance.”

In a recent interview with the pro-Iranian television channel al-Mayadeen, Hassan Nasrallah, leader of the Iran-backed Lebanese Hezbollah, praised Tehran’s ongoing efforts to maintain relations with all its allies.

Nasrallah said in the interview he met the Hamas politburo chief, Ismail Haniyeh, several times during the latter’s visit to Lebanon last September. Haniyeh traveled to Lebanon to attend the Palestinian faction’s secretaries-general meeting.

Hamas is an Islamic militant group that controls the Gaza Strip. Despite its Sunni ideology, it has maintained a close relationship with Iran, a regional Shiite power.

For years, Hamas had offices in the Syrian capital, Damascus, and received support from the Syrian government, another major Iranian ally.

Ties between Hamas and the Syrian government were severed in 2012, however, following the group’s criticism of the crackdown by Damascus on anti-government protesters.

Under pressure from the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Hamas leaders left Damascus.

Nasrallah said during his recent meetings with Haniyeh that they discussed mending the ties between Damascus and Hamas. He said, “there is a very positive atmosphere” and Hamas’ “relations with the Syrian regime will be restored, but it is not easy.”

Both Hamas and Hezbollah are designated as terrorist organizations by the United States, while Syria is considered a state sponsor of terrorism by the U.S. State Department.

Normalization factor

In the wake of the recent agreements to normalize relations between Israel and several Arab countries, including the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco, experts say Tehran will intensify its efforts to fix broken ties in its regional alliance to face new realities in the Middle East.

“Iran considers that normalizing relations with Israel is an opportunity to reunite the ‘Axis of Resistance’ in the region,” said Emad Chidiac, a Lebanon-based analyst and journalist.

Chidiac added that with Hamas vehemently opposed to the Abraham Accords, Iran believes it can exploit the situation by bringing Hamas closer within its regional alliance.

Sponsored by the U.S., the normalization deals between Israel and the Arab countries are collectively called the Abraham Accords.

Expanding the ‘Axis’

Despite ideological and political differences, Iran and Hezbollah have managed to maintain their strategic relationship with Hamas. Some experts say their shared animosity toward Israel is what has kept their alliance intact.

“What the Iranians along with Hezbollah tried to do is compartmentalize two different conflicts [Syrian war and Israeli-Palestinian conflict], that they realized that Hamas has its own local prerogatives and its own factors to deal with, and this is something that Iran gives to its proxies,” said David Daoud, a research analyst on Hezbollah at United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI), a U.S.-based advocacy group.

Despite news reports about Russia’s plans to push Iran and its proxies out of Syria, Daoud said, Moscow has no intention of dealing with the Syrian conflict on its own.

“The Iranians and the Russians are working in tandem on reconsolidating Syria, ostensibly under Russian control, but really under Iran’s control,” he told VOA. “I think they are moving toward a phase to put the Syrian civil war behind them and put aside their differences and reunify the ranks in a broader resistance axis, which will include Hamas.”

Last week, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in a press conference that Moscow will not allow Syria to be an arena for a conflict between Israel and Iran.

Lavrov’s comments came after a series of Israeli airstrikes reportedly targeted Iranian forces and weapons warehouses in eastern Syria. The strikes killed 40 Iran-backed fighters, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Hamas’ reluctance

Despite ongoing efforts by Iran and Hezbollah to restore relations with the Syrian government, some experts contend Hamas could lose significant support locally if it were to opt for a full restoration of relations with Damascus.

This, analysts say, is because thousands of Palestinian refugees remain in the custody of the Syrian government and areas where Hamas is concentrated intensely felt the impact of government attacks in the early years of the war.

“It is a very difficult decision to make, especially when there are many Palestinians displaced and imprisoned by the Syrian regime,” analyst Chidiac said, underscoring that under such circumstances the “Palestinians will not accept a restoration of relations with the Syrian regime.”

The Action Group for the Palestinians of Syria, a Britain-based watchdog, has documented 1,780 Palestinians in Syrian prisons since 2011. The group says the 560,000 Palestinian refugees in Syria are not able to secure their daily basic needs, noting the war in Syria has displaced 270,000 Palestinian refugees from their homes.

The Yarmouk Camp, the largest Palestinian refugee community in Syria, remained besieged by Syrian government forces for five years after it was captured by rebel groups.

The siege ended in 2018 and the remaining Palestinians were displaced to northern Syria. The camp was home to about 160,000 Palestinian refugees, according to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA).

US Indicts Oath Keeper Members Over Plot to Storm Capitol

Thu, 28 Jan 2021 00:41:57 GMT

The United States has secured an indictment against three members of the far-right Oath Keepers militia, accusing them of conspiring to storm the U.S. Capitol in a bid to stop Congress from certifying President Joe Biden's electoral victory.

The indictment alleges that Jessica Marie Watkins, 38, Donovan Ray Crowl, 50, both of Campaign County, Ohio, and Thomas Caldwell, 65, of Clarke County, Virginia, conspired as far back as November to obstruct Congress, a charge that can carry a maximum prison sentence of 20 years.

The three were previously charged by criminal complaint, and all three were ordered detained after magistrate judges found that they posed a danger to the community and should be held without bond.

The amended complaint against the three, which was made public earlier this month, revealed the FBI had collected messages that they received during the January 6 riots at the Capitol.

In one, Watkins can be heard saying, "We have a good group. We have about 30-40 of us. We are sticking together and sticking to the plan."

In another message that Caldwell received during the attack, an unidentified person told him, "All members are in the tunnels under capital (sic). Seal them in. Turn on gas."

At Caldwell's detention hearing January 19, a federal prosecutor said there was a possibility additional charges could be filed as the investigation proceeds, including charges of seditious conspiracy.

None of the three has entered a plea in the case.

Oscar and Emmy-Winning Actress Cloris Leachman Dies at 94

Thu, 28 Jan 2021 00:17:36 GMT

Cloris Leachman, an Oscar winner for her portrayal of a lonely housewife in "The Last Picture Show" and a comedic delight as the fearsome Frau Blücher in "Young Frankenstein" and neighbor Phyllis on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" has died. She was 94.

Leachman died in her sleep of natural causes at her home in Encinitas, California, publicist Monique Moss said Wednesday. Her daughter was at her side, Moss said.

FILE - Cloris Leachman poses with her Emmy award for outstanding single performance by an actress in "A Brand New Life" at the Emmy Awards presentation in Los Angeles, May 21, 1975.

A character actor of extraordinary range, Leachman defied typecasting. In her early television career, she appeared as the mother of Timmy on the "Lassie" series. She played a frontier prostitute in "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid," a crime spree family member in "Crazy Mama," and Blücher in Mel Brooks's "Young Frankenstein," in which the very mention of her name made horses whinny.

In 1989, she toured in "Grandma Moses," a play in which she aged from 45 to 101. For three years in the 1990s, she appeared in major cities as the captain's wife in the revival of "Show Boat." In the 1993 movie version of "The Beverly Hillbillies," she assumed the Irene Ryan role as Granny Clampett.

She also had an occasional role as Ida on "Malcolm in the Middle," winning Emmys in 2002 and 2006 for that show. And in 2008, she joined the ranks of contestants in "Dancing with the Stars," not lasting long in the competition but pleasing the crowds by wearing sparkly dance costumes, sitting in judges' laps and cussing during the live television broadcast.

FILE - Gavin MacLeod, from left, Valerie Harper, Cloris Leachman, Betty White and Ed Asner, of the Mary Tyler Moore Show, reunite in Los Angeles, March 21, 1992.

Although she started out as Miss Chicago in the Miss America Pageant, Leachman willingly accepted unglamorous screen roles.

"Basically, I don't care how I look, ugly or beautiful," she told an interviewer in 1973. "I don't think that's what beauty is. On a single day, any of us is ugly or beautiful. I'm heartbroken I can't be the witch in 'The Wizard of Oz.' But I'd also like to be the good witch. Phyllis combines them both.

"I'm kind of like that in life. I'm magic, and I believe in magic. There's supposed to be a point in life when you aren't supposed to stay believing that. I haven't reached it yet."

Afghans Want Biden White House to Push for Cease-fire in Afghanistan

Thu, 28 Jan 2021 00:05:20 GMT

Some Afghans say they are hoping the new U.S. administration will push the Taliban to agree to a cease-fire. Meanwhile, the Afghan government has welcomed the new U.S. administration’s announcement that it is reviewing the U.S.-Taliban peace agreement. VOA’s Gul Rahim Niazman reports from Mazar Sharif, Afghanistan.

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Bernie Sanders' Mittens, Memes Help Raise $1.8 Million for Charity

Wed, 27 Jan 2021 23:49:57 GMT

About those wooly mittens that U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders wore to the presidential inauguration, sparking endless quirky memes across social media? They've helped to raise $1.8 million in the last five days for charitable organizations in Sanders' home state of Vermont, the independent senator announced Wednesday.

The sum comes from the sale of merchandise with the January 20 image of him sitting with his arms and legs crossed, clad in his brown parka and recycled wool mittens.

Sanders put the first of the so-called "Chairman Sanders" merchandise, including T-shirts, sweatshirts and stickers, on his website Thursday night and the first run sold out in less than 30 minutes, he said. More merchandise was added over the weekend and sold out by Monday morning, he said.

Meme of Senator Bernie Sanders Goes Viral Worldwide

The web is smitten over Sanders in coat and mittens

"Jane and I were amazed by all the creativity shown by so many people over the last week, and we're glad we can use my internet fame to help Vermonters in need," Sanders said in a written statement, referring to his wife. "But even this amount of money is no substitute for action by Congress, and I will be doing everything I can in Washington to make sure working people in Vermont and across the country get the relief they need in the middle of the worst crisis we've faced since the Great Depression."

FILE - A Bernie Sanders cutout sits in the stands during a basketball game at Williams Arena, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Jan 23, 2021. (Harrison Barden-USA Today Sports)

Sanders' mittens were made by Jen Ellis, a Vermont elementary school teacher who has a side business making mittens out of recycled wool. His inauguration look, also featuring the winter jacket made by Burton Snowboards, sparked countless memes from the photo taken by Agence France-Presse: The former presidential candidate could be found on social media timelines taking a seat on the subway, the moon and the couch with the cast of "Friends," among other creative locales.

Ellis said on social media over the weekend that Sanders called to tell her that "the mitten frenzy" had raised an enormous amount of money for Vermont charities although she was not authorized to disclose the amount, yet.

"But it's BIG and it's amazing! Thank you!! Generosity brings joy," she tweeted.

She also said she made three more pairs of mittens and donated them for fundraising to Passion 4 Paws Vermont, Outright Vermont, and would be auctioning off a pair on eBay for her daughter's college fund.

FILE - Artist Jonas Never paints a mural of Senator Bernie Sanders, in Culver City, California, Jan. 24, 2021.

The groups that will benefit from the proceeds of the "Chairman Sanders" items include area agencies on aging to fund Meals on Wheels throughout Vermont, Vermont community action agencies, Feeding Chittenden, Vermont Parent Child Network, The Chill Foundation, senior centers in Vermont and Bistate Primary Care for dental care improvements in the state, Sanders' office said.

Sanders' attire has also sparked other charitable endeavors. A crocheted doll of Sanders in his garb was auctioned off online and Burton Snowboards donated 50 jackets to the Burlington Department for Children and Families in Sanders' name, his office said.

Getty Images confirmed that it will donate its proceeds as part of the licensing agreement to put the photo on the merchandise to Meals on Wheels of America.

Tanzanian President Expresses Doubt on Coronavirus Vaccines

Wed, 27 Jan 2021 23:48:25 GMT

Tanzanian President John Magufuli has warned his health ministry against rushing to adopt COVID-19 vaccines, suggesting the vaccines may not be safe or effective.

In a speech Wednesday in Western Tanzania, Magufuli expressed doubt about vaccines produced by Western countries.

“If the white man was able to come up with vaccinations, then vaccinations for AIDS would have been brought, tuberculosis would be a thing of the past, vaccines for malaria and cancer would have been found,” said the president.

Magufuli directed the Ministry of Health to adopt a vaccine only after it is certified by Tanzanian experts.

He said Tanzanians must not be used as guinea pigs in vaccine trials.

Little is known about the state of the coronavirus in Tanzania, as the president has declared the country to be “COVID-free” and officials refuse to keep track of coronavirus infections or deaths.

The president has told officials to promote herbs to remedy COVID-19 symptoms.

Maguflui told those in attendance Wednesday that they should continue to put their trust in God, saying that they “have lived for over one year without the virus because our God is able, and Satan will always fail.”

The United States is currently warning Americans to avoid all travel to the East African country, assigning the country a Level 4 alert, the highest advisory level.