- The US Department of State issued Level 4 'Do Not Travel' advisories for 11 African countries, its most severe travel warning category
- The affected countries span the Sahel, Central Africa, the Horn of Africa and North Africa, each facing overlapping security threats
- The US warned that its ability to assist American citizens in these 11 countries during emergencies may be limited or non-existent
The US Department of State has placed 11 African countries under its Level 4 travel advisory, the highest and most serious warning it issues, cautioning American citizens against travelling to these destinations due to threats including terrorism, kidnapping, armed conflict, civil unrest and inadequate healthcare.
The Level 4 designation, labelled "Do Not Travel," signals that conditions in a given country pose potentially life-threatening dangers.
Source: Getty Images
The department also cautioned that US government assistance to citizens caught in emergencies within these countries could be severely limited or entirely unavailable.
According to the department's travel advisory database, the following countries were placed under Level 4 advisories as of 2026:
1. Burkina Faso (May 4, 2026) — Terrorism, crime, kidnapping and health risks driven by persistent militant violence.
2. Central African Republic (January 15, 2026) — Crime, civil unrest, kidnapping, terrorism and limited healthcare access.
3. Chad (April 28, 2026) — Terrorism, kidnapping, crime, civil unrest and the risk of landmines.
4. Democratic Republic of the Congo (July 15, 2026) — Unrest, crime, kidnapping, terrorism and health risks, particularly in conflict-affected areas.
5. Libya (August 31, 2026) — Political instability, armed groups, crime, terrorism and kidnapping.
6. Mali (June 8, 2026) — Terrorism, kidnapping, crime, civil unrest and health threats across the country.
7. Niger (July 9, 2026) — Terrorism, kidnapping, crime and political and security instability.
8. Somalia (May 21, 2026) — Terrorism, kidnapping, crime, civil unrest and health threats.
9. South Sudan (May 17, 2026) — Crime, kidnapping, civil unrest and health risks.
10. Sudan (May 15, 2026) — Ongoing war compounded by crime, kidnapping, unrest and limited healthcare access.
11. Uganda (June 4, 2026) — Terrorism, crime and health risks.
What the US advisory means
The Level 4 designation is a safety assessment for US citizens rather than a blanket restriction on travel by other nationalities. The State Department noted that security conditions can vary across different regions within each country, meaning not every area faces identical risks.
Many of the 11 countries share overlapping crises. Jihadist insurgencies continue to destabilise large parts of the Sahel, while Sudan remains engulfed in war.
Somalia faces persistent militant attacks, and several countries on the list also contend with weak infrastructure and limited emergency services, factors that heighten the overall risk to foreign travellers.
The advisories are based on the department's assessment of risks specifically to American citizens travelling abroad, and the grounds for each warning vary depending on local conditions.
Legit.ng reported that the US had removed a travel warning for an African country.
In a related story, Legit.ng reported that the US had released an advisory for visa holders.
US names African countries on Level 4 travel risk
Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that the US had named 10 African countries on Level 4 'Do Not Travel' high-risk list.
The Level 4 designation, labelled "Do Not Travel," signals that a country poses extreme dangers to visitors.
The US government warns that its ability to provide consular assistance to citizens in these locations may be severely limited or unavailable.
Source: Legit.ng