The U.S. mission to Somalia on Saturday issued a directive for its non-essential American employees to leave Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu, until further notice.
“Due to specific threat information against U.S. personnel on the Mogadishu International Airport, the U.S. Mission to Somalia has directed its non-essential U.S. citizen employees to depart Mogadishu until further notice,” it said in a statement.
The statement also reiterated a travel advisory imposed on the Horn of African country, saying the security situation was still extremely unstable.
“In accordance with the Travel Warning for Somalia…the Department of State continues to warn U.S. citizens against travel to Somalia. The security situation in Somalia is extremely unstable, and the threat to all U.S. citizens in Somalia remains critical,” it said.
Somalia was rocked by two blasts last month, one of which was billed as the country’s biggest ever. It killed more than 250 people and left over 500 others injured.
The country has been dogged by an Islamist insurgency waged by al-Shabaab for nearly a decade, killing thousands and forcing millions to flee their homes.
The U.S. mission to Somalia in its statement also noted that the country had no embassy in Mogadishu, urging all Americans residing there to enhance their personal safety.
“Department of State urges all U.S. citizens who decide to remain in Somalia to review your personal security plans, take appropriate steps to enhance your personal safety, remain aware of your surroundings, monitor local media for updates, and maintain a high level of vigilance. There is no U.S. embassy presence in Somalia,” the statement read.
