MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – Canada has issued its starkest warning in years on Somalia, urging its nationals to avoid all travel to the country and advising those already there to depart immediately amid a rapid deterioration in security.
In a statement released last week, Canadian officials described a landscape of lawlessness and extreme danger gripping the war-scarred Horn of Africa nation. “The security situation in Somalia is extremely volatile and the threat of domestic terrorism is high, particularly in south-central Somalia and in the capital, Mogadishu. The rule of law is virtually non-existent. Violent demonstrations, suicide bombings, attacks and military activity occur regularly,” the advisory said.
Authorities underscored that foreigners face acute risks, warning that anti-Western sentiment can flare without warning. “The current situation represents a very serious threat to travellers. Be aware that anti-Western sentiment may at times be strong. Foreign travellers, including journalists, human rights activists and humanitarian workers, are at very high risk of kidnapping, murder and arrest without notice or apparent cause.”
Ottawa’s latest alert reflects heightened anxiety over Somalia’s combustive political climate, characterised by intensified militant assaults, factional clashes, and a spike in kidnappings targeting both locals and expatriates. With no Canadian diplomatic presence on the ground, the government cautioned that those stranded could find themselves without consular assistance at moments of crisis.
The advisory stressed that Canadians in Somalia may struggle to secure even basic support should violence erupt, and warned that evacuation options in an emergency could be severely limited.
Canada’s message, delivered in unusually forceful terms, leaves little ambiguity: Somalia’s spiralling instability presents an intolerable risk, and citizens should leave at once.
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