The US State Department announced that eleven African countries are now under its highest travel advisory, Level 4 “Do Not Travel”, due to threats such as terrorism, kidnapping, landmines, collapsing health infrastructure and armed conflict.

The nations listed are Burkina Faso, the Central African Republic, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Libya, Mali, Niger, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Uganda.

Level 4 is the top tier of the State Department’s four‑level system, above Level 3 “Reconsider Travel”, and advises US citizens already in the country to leave while it remains safe to do so.

Embassies in several of the listed states have warned they cannot guarantee emergency consular assistance, and in some cases US personnel are barred from traveling beyond the capital city.

Specific country briefings note that Burkina Faso received its warning on 4 May 2026 because of jihadist activity and kidnappings in Ouagadougou, while the Central African Republic was added on 15 January 2026 after frequent ransom kidnappings near Bangui.

Chad’s advisory, dated 28 April 2026, cites landmines and active kidnapping operations that limit emergency assistance outside N'Djamena, and Libya’s warning, updated 31 August 2026, applies to travel for any reason due to widespread weapons and unpredictable armed clashes.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo’s Level 4 warning, issued 15 July 2026, reflects the seizure of Goma and Bukavu by the M23 rebel group and ongoing missile and drone attacks in the east.

Uganda was added on 4 June 2026 partly because of an Ebola outbreak declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, with 20 cases reported in 2026, 15 of which were linked to the DRC.

The State Department notes that its travel advisories have no legal force, but they can affect insurance coverage and corporate travel policies, which often exclude Level 4 destinations.