The American Department of State categorised 21 nations under its Level 4 “Do Not Travel” advisory, including seven African countries as of December 2024
When the U.S. Department of State issues a travel advisory for specific countries, it highlights significant concerns regarding traveller safety.
The advisories result from thorough evaluations of multiple risk factors and serve to educate American citizens about safety while travelling globally.
The seven African nations in the “Do Not Travel” category included Libya, Mali, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Burkina Faso, and the Central African Republic.
The designations, which are updated regularly, indicated extreme risks such as armed conflict, terrorism, crime, and civil unrest, making these destinations unsafe for travel.
The travel advisory system is usually divided into four levels according to risk level respectively, reviews for Level 3 and Level 4 advisories take place every six months, whereas Level 1 and Level 2 countries are reviewed once a year.
Level 1: Exercise Normal Precautions: The country is generally safe, but standard vigilance is advised.
Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution: Specific safety concerns exist, requiring increased vigilance.
Level 3: Reconsider Travel: Significant risks are present, urging travelers to postpone or reconsider.
Level 4: Do Not Travel: Severe risks necessitate avoiding travel altogether or departing immediately if already present.
In the travel warning for Libya issued on August 1, 2024, the U.S. government raised concerns about crime, terrorism, unexploded landmines, and ongoing armed conflicts in the country.
The advisory highlighted the growing presence of terrorist groups and the risk of attacks in public spaces like tourist sites and government buildings.
The U.S. cited Crime, terrorism, and kidnapping in the advisory against Mali which was updated July 31, 2023. Travelling outside the capital, Bamako is heavily restricted for U.S. personnel. The U.S. government’s ability to provide emergency services in the area is severely limited.
They also raised concerns of crime, terrorism, civil unrest, health risks, kidnapping, and piracy while updating the travel advisory for Somalia on July 23, 2024.
Somalia faces widespread violent crime, including murder and kidnappings. Terrorist attacks targeting public spaces and government facilities are frequent, while piracy remains a threat in coastal waters.
The U.S. also expressed that Sudan and South Sudan were flagged on July 31 2023 due to crime, kidnapping, armed conflict, civil unrest, crime carjackings, and robberies.
The U.S. Embassy in Juba, South Sudan operates under strict security protocols, limiting consular services.
Since April 2023, armed conflict has engulfed Sudan, particularly in Khartoum. Communication and transportation systems are often disrupted, with airports and border crossings frequently closed. Violent clashes and intercommunal violence occur throughout the country, making travel extremely hazardous. U.S. Embassy operations in Khartoum are suspended, further limiting assistance to U.S. citizens.
The advisory for Burkina Faso which was last updated on June 31, 2023, cited reasons such as Terrorism, crime, and kidnapping.
States of emergency are in effect in several regions of the country due to ongoing violence.
The U.S. expressed that the Central African Republic (CAR) was plagued with Armed conflict, crime, civil unrest, and kidnapping, the advisory was last updated on December 26, 2024.
They highlighted that large parts of the Central African Republic are controlled by armed groups engaging in violent crime and kidnappings.