On January 30, 2026, the United States Department of State placed Niger under a Level 4 “Do Not Travel” advisory, its most severe warning, ordering the departure of non-emergency government personnel and their families due to escalating security threats.
- On January 30, 2026, the US Department of State announced a Level 4 ‘Do Not Travel’ advisory for Niger due to escalating security concerns.
- Key risks cited include terrorism, kidnapping, violent crime, civil unrest, and inadequate emergency and healthcare infrastructure.
- Recent terrorist activities, such as an attack at Diori Hamani International Airport, have highlighted the deteriorating safety conditions.
- Niger’s inclusion reflects a broader trend, as eight African countries are now under similar advisories due to systemic instability and insecurity.
Niger has been added to the United States’ Level 4 travel advisory list, bringing the number of African countries under the highest US travel alert to eight.
The advisory highlights terrorism, kidnapping, violent crime, civil unrest, and weak emergency and healthcare capacity as core risks. U.S. authorities confirmed that they cannot provide routine or emergency consular services outside Niamey, while a state of emergency and movement restrictions remain in force across large parts of the country.
The recent escalation in Niger follows a series of terrorist attacks, including a gunfight at Diori Hamani International Airport in Niamey, involving Islamic State-affiliated groups, which underscored the increasing danger to foreigners and U.S. personnel.
These attacks, alongside broader instability in Niger’s border regions and across the Sahel, prompted Washington to elevate the country to a Level 4 travel advisory.
The US travel advisory system ranges from Level 1, which advises travellers to exercise normal precautions, to Level 4, which urges citizens not to travel due to extreme safety risks. In summary, Level 4 is the highest alert category and is reserved for countries facing severe security threats such as armed conflict, terrorism, widespread crime, or political instability that significantly endangers foreign nationals.
Under the new rules, foreigners travelling outside the capital must do so with Nigerien military escorts, and U.S. government employees are required to move only in armored vehicles, observe strict curfews, and avoid restaurants and open-air markets.
The guidance urges U.S. citizens remaining in Niger to adopt similar precautions, warning that terrorist groups remain active nationwide and continue to target foreign interests through attacks and kidnappings.
Why Africa dominates the highest US travel risk category
Niger’s addition brings the number of African countries under Level 4 travel alerts to eight, reinforcing the continent’s growing dominance of the U.S. government’s highest risk category.
Other African states currently designated Level 4 include Libya, Mali, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, South Sudan, Sudan, Somalia, and parts of the Sahelian corridor, where insurgencies, civil wars, and state fragility persist.
The trend reflects a convergence of crises. In the Sahel, jihadist groups exploit weak state control and porous borders, while coups and military governments have strained relations with Western partners and reduced international security cooperation.
In eastern and central Africa, long-running conflicts and militia violence continue to undermine civilian safety and humanitarian access. In Sudan and South Sudan, large-scale warfare and political breakdown have made external assistance and evacuation operations increasingly difficult.
For countries placed under Level 4 advisories, the consequences extend beyond travel warnings. Tourism collapses, foreign investment decisions are delayed or cancelled, and diplomatic engagement becomes more limited as embassies scale back operations.
The growing list also signals how structural insecurity, rather than isolated crises, is shaping international perceptions of risk across parts of Africa.
As the number of Level 4 alerts continues to rise, the message from Washington is stark: without sustained improvements in security, governance, and emergency response capacity, more African states risk deeper isolation from global travel, business, and diplomatic networks.
