Canada closes embassies in Libya, Egypt, Sudan over protests
Egyptian protesters raise inside the US embassy the black al-Qaeda flag inscribed with the Muslim profession of belief: ‘There is no God but God and Mohammed is the prophet of God’ during a protest against a film deemed offensive to Islam in Cairo on September 11, 2012. Thousands of Egyptian demonstrators angered by the film produced by expatriate members of Egypt’s Christian minority resident in the United States, tore down the US flag during the protest at the embassy.
Canada has closed its embassies in Libya, Sudan and Egypt for the day on Sunday as a precaution over anti-Western protests in the region.
The Canadian Embassy in Tunis is also closed, as it is usually on Sundays.
Cairo's Canadian outpost has been closed since Thursday due to the violence protests at the nearby American embassy, CBC News reported.
The Canadian announcements to protect their diplomats come as the United States ordered all non-essential personnel in Tunisia and Sudan to leave the countries, and warned Americans against travel to the regions.
"US citizens remaining in Tunisia should use extreme caution and avoid demonstrations [and] make their own contingency emergency plans," the State Department said in a statement.
Americans still in the country were encouraged to fly out on commercial airlines.
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They issued a similar statement about the situation in Sudan, saying that though the Sudanese government had made some efforts to quell the violence, there was still a threat.
"The terrorist threat level throughout Sudan, and particularly in the Darfur region, remains critical," said the State Department.
The US and Canadian announcements also come after a statement from Al Qaeda calling for renewed attacks on Western embassies, BBC News reported.
"What has happened is a great event, and these efforts should come together in one goal, which is to expel the embassies of America from the lands of the Muslims," Al Qaeda said.
Earlier this month, the Canadian government also closed its embassy in Tehran, severing its ties with the nation partially over its worries about the safety of Canadian diplomats, the Canadian Press reported.