16 African nations on U.S. high-risk journey advisory as of September 2025

The U.S. Department of State points journey advisories below a 4 tier system starting from Level 1 which advises “exercise normal precautions” to Level 4 which urges “do not travel” due to life threatening risks.

For the aim of this report solely African nations below essentially the most extreme classes Level 3 “reconsider travel” and Level 4 “do not travel” are highlighted as these pose the gravest dangers to vacationers in keeping with the U.S. Department of State.

The United States points journey advisories primarily to guard its residents overseas by alerting them to safety, well being, and political dangers they might face in international nations.

The advisories serve each as warnings and steering, serving to vacationers make knowledgeable selections earlier than and through their journeys. They are additionally a diplomatic software, signaling Washington’s evaluation of stability and security in several areas.

To decide the advisory degree for every nation, the U.S. Department of State depends on a variety of inputs.

These embrace intelligence and safety assessments from U.S. embassies and consulates, stories from the FBI, CIA, and Department of Defense, in addition to knowledge from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on well being dangers.

They additionally think about crime statistics, terrorism threats, civil unrest, pure disasters, kidnapping dangers, and the host authorities’s skill to help in emergencies.

On the opposite hand, different nations positioned at Level 1 and Level 2 are thought-about comparatively safer locations the place the dangers are considerably decrease.

Countries below Level 1, which advises vacationers to train regular precautions, are seen as typically steady, with circumstances much like what U.S. residents may expertise at dwelling, although routine care remains to be inspired.

Those below Level 2, which requires exercising elevated warning, are judged to have average dangers similar to elevated crime charges, occasional protests, or localized safety considerations that vacationers ought to look ahead to however which don’t rise to the extent of widespread or life threatening hazard.

This desk highlights 16 African nations presently positioned below the United States’ highest journey advisory ranges as of September 2025.

Each entry lists the vacation spot, its advisory degree, the principle danger indicators, and the date of the newest replace.

Africa options prominently on this record resulting from overlapping crises which have intensified throughout the continent. Persistent armed conflicts, terrorism, weak governance, porous borders, and fragile well being programs proceed to destabilize whole areas.

In many circumstances, governments lack full management over their territories, creating house for extremist teams, armed militias, and arranged crime to flourish.

Some nations have remained on the record for the longest interval, together with Sudan, Mali, and Ethiopia, all of which have confronted strict advisories since 2023.

Their continued inclusion displays ongoing civil wars, extremist insurgencies, and political instability that present little signal of decision.

In distinction, plenty of nations had been added extra lately in 2025, similar to Burundi in April, Guinea-Bissau in March, Mauritania in July, Nigeria in July, and Uganda in April. Their newer entries underscore how deteriorating safety circumstances are drawing further African states into the best danger classes.