Bujumbura - The United States issued a travel warning on Thursday for strife-torn Burundi, telling its citizens not to go there and urging those in the country to get out as soon as possible.
Burundi's government survived a coup attempt this week that saw fierce fighting between rival army factions.
It was the culmination of weeks of violent street protests against the president's bid to seek a third term in the poor east African country.
In a statement, the US State Department said Burundi was faced a “deteriorating security situation”.
It said it had ordered all non-emergency US government personnel and dependents of American staff to leave Burundi on Thursday.
“US citizens should shelter in place until it is safe to move about, ensure that your travel documents are up-to-date, and confirm that air and land borders are open before attempting to depart the country,” the statement said.
It added that the Somalia-based terror group al-Shabaab has threatened to stage terror attacks in Burundi and may also target US interests there.
AFP