MS Risk Blog

Security Advisory: World Cup

The BIG semi-final!! The two pre-tournament favourites, Brazil and Germany, meet this evening in Belo Horizonte. Belo recently came into the limelight when a partially constructed overpass collapsed on a bus and two unoccupied cars. This event briefly instigated a resurgence of the fears about building quality of stadia and so on but we have not had any concerns thus far and are certainly unlikely to have any problems in the remaining 4 games.
The big story over the last few days was the corruption around the illegal selling of tickets including valuable VIP tickets with revenues of up to half a million USD per game. With several arrests, we hope this doesn’t make tickets even harder to come by. Some are estimating tickets to the final going for $16000. So if you have them KEEP THEM SAFE!
With Brazil playing in tonight’s match, the country will be at a virtual standstill; in the sense that they won’t be driving around so much as dancing around. Again, the concern about chaos in the wake of a Brazilian loss is resurfacing however, being knocked out of the semi-finals without the star player seems to be a more acceptable end to the campaign than losing to the Colombians. Nonetheless, be aware of the potential for the mood to sour and things to turn nasty very quickly after the game. Have an idea of how to get back to the hotel in a hurry after watching the match at Fan Fests or elsewhere.
As the profile of the games increases, so will the potential for publicity seekers to capitalise on the opportunity and the associate security presence as well. Security cordons will be widened to keep trouble makers away. Ticket checks will be more rigorous, especially as crowds are likely to try and force their way into this unique event. Due to the enhanced security, people will be arriving early and hanging around the stadium; try to resist the urge to drink too much. Drunken foreigners coming out of a late match are easy targets.
With 8 World Cup titles between them, these are two goliaths of the sport! This will be a great match.

Sixty Women Believed to Have Escaped Boko Haram Militants

Security sources indicated Monday that more than sixty women and girls are reported to have escaped from captivity.

Reports have indicated that more than sixty women and girls have escaped from the Nigerian Islamist group Boko Haram. They are believed to be from a group of sixty-eight women who were kidnapped last month near the town of Damboa in north-eastern Borno state. Boko Haram is still holding more than 200 schoolgirls who were abducted in April of this year.

Security sources have indicated that the women escaped when the militants went to attack a military base near Damboa on Friday. The Nigerian military has also reported that its troops killed more than fifty rebels during clashes that occurred that night. Due to on going insecurities in the region, coupled with poor access to the area, the number of women who managed to escape from Boko Haram remains unclear. However a local vigilante has reported receiving an alert from his colleagues indicating that about sixty-three abducted women and girls had made it back home late on Friday.

Meanwhile frustration continues to grow as more than 200 schoolgirls kidnapped in Chibok, Borno state, on April 14 are still being held captive. Activists of the Bring Back Our Girls movement attempted to march towards the presidential palace in Abuja on Sunday however they were turned back by security forces. According to one activist, Aisha Yesufu, “it’s 83 days today that the girls have been abducted…We have been coming out for 68 days and nobody has really listened to us.”

Nigeria’s overstretched and under-resourced military has been incapable of fighting Boko Haram’s insurgency, which has already killed thousands over the past five years.

Security Advisory: World Cup

What a day of quarterfinals!  Brazil and Germany celebrated US Independence Day in style with good clean victories.  The good news is that the worry of despondent Brazilian fans rioting in the wake of a loss has been delayed for a least a few days now.

There were no significant incidents over the last few days but there have been reports of people having tickets stolen on the way to games and in the vicinity of the stadiums.  Like anything, “have it on show, expect it to go!” Keep your tickets out of site, especially as we progress through the latter stages of the tournament and they become increasingly valuable to maniacal football fans. Resist the temptation to boast about the tickets you have in public, as it will make you a target for theft.  The UK FCO has issued some similar advice here.

Today’s games are Argentina vs Belgium in Brasilia (27C, 52% Humidity, clear) and Costa Rica vs The Netherlands in Salvador (27C, 78%, Heavy rain due to continue). Brasilia, the capital of Brazil, has seen some large protests and there remains the possibility of political activists trying to take advantage of publicity surround the game.  Be aware, be early, and stay semi-sober until you get back from the match.  In Salvador, the weather will be the biggest problem; this may require alternative routes getting to the match.  Follow the advice given by organisers and, again, be early to prevent disappointment.  In Recife, many people missed the first half of matches due to heavy weather impeding travel.

For tomorrow’s rest day… Not to worry if you’re sick of the sun and rain in Brazil.  There’s the Wimbledon Men’s Final, the British Grand Prix, and the second stage of the Tour de France.

Security Advisory: World Cup

And we’re off again!  All of the 8 group winners are through to the quarterfinals for the first time ever.

The big story in Brazil yesterday was the collapse of an overpass under construction that tragically killed several people riding in the bus it fell on in Belo Horizonte, one of the host cities.  Although there were many concerns about the quality of construction of the stadia, there has been little to worry about thus far and with only 8 matches remaining, these concerns seem unnecessary; touch wood.

Today’s early game is France vs Germany in Rio (31C, 100% Humidity, clear) at the Maracana.  There are no concerns about this match. Typically, both countries have fans whom are reasonably well behaved. The later game is Brazil vs Colombia in Fortaleza (30C, 65%, clear).  Security services have been put on standby in order to respond in case of a Brazilian loss, not only in Fortaleza, but throughout the country as well.  The concern is the potential for wide scale rioting in the face of defeat as has been seen in a number of other cities including Vancouver after they lost the Stanley Cup finals.

Security Advisory: FIFA Workd Cup

Last night was another captivating day of football with both matches going into extra time. A crushing defeat for the Americans who’s goalkeeper, Tim Howard, set a new standard for the number of saves in a match. The match was briefly interrupted by a politically motivated pitch invader with a history of doing so. There was no real disruption and the match continued unhindered.

Some reports indicate protestors are congregating in the vicinity of FIFA’s Rio headquarters with riot police responding accordingly. Expect these protests to be short lived with a harsh response from security forces. If you find yourself in an area where crowds are gather, leave at the first sign of trouble.

The quarterfinal match-ups are now set as we go into the first of two rest days; the first quarterfinals are on Friday with France vs Germany in Rio and Brazil vs Colombia in Fortaleza.