THE United States Government has placed 11 African countries and 12 others across the world under its highest travel advisory, warning American citizens against travelling to the affected countries for any reason.
The US Department of State announced the decision through its Bureau of Consular Affairs in a statement published on its official Facebook page on Monday.
The 23 countries were classified under Level 4, the highest category in the US four-tier travel advisory system, which carries the warning: “Do Not Travel”.
According to the department, the classification is based on security concerns, prevailing local conditions and the limited capacity of the US Government to provide assistance to American citizens in the affected countries.
Explaining the implications of the advisory, the department stated: “Level 4 means DO NOT TRAVEL. We assign Level 4 based on local conditions and/or our limited ability to help Americans there. These places are dangerous. Do not go for ANY reason.”
The 11 African countries affected are Burkina Faso, the Central African Republic, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mali, Niger, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Uganda and Libya.
The other 12 countries are Afghanistan, Belarus, Burma, Haiti, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, North Korea, Russia, Syria, Ukraine and Yemen.
The US operates a four-level travel advisory system to guide its citizens on potential risks associated with travelling to different countries.
While Level 1 advises travellers to exercise normal precautions, Level 2 recommends increased caution. Level 3 urges travellers to reconsider their plans, while Level 4 advises against all travel to the designated destinations.
The State Department urged American citizens to consult its official travel advisory website for the latest security information and updates before making travel arrangements.
The advisory is part of the US Government’s efforts to keep its citizens informed about security risks and potential dangers in foreign destinations.
