Canada closes Cairo embassy amid 'unsettled security conditions'

The Canadian embassy in Cairo closed “until further notice” on Monday, citing security concerns.

A statement posted on the mission’s website on Monday morning said “unsettled security conditions” mean the provision of consular services will be “limited for short periods".

The statement did not give an indication of how long the interruption is expected to continue. 

The Canadian government currently advises against all non-essential travel to Egypt, apart from Red Sea coastal areas popular with tourists, where is urges travellers to take a “high degree of caution".

Australia has also stepped up its warning about the security risks to travellers in Cairo.

“Reports in early December 2014 indicate that terrorists may be planning attacks against tourist sites, government ministries and embassies in Cairo.”

The Canadian embassy, located in an upmarket leafy neighbourhood of central Cairo near the banks of the River Nile, is now the second foreign diplomatic mission to close its doors in Egypt within 48 hours, after the British embassy announced its decision to close on Sunday.

The British embassy is a three-minute walk from the Canadian diplomatic headquarters – in a statement on Sunday they warned people not to approach the building.

The US embassy in Cairo, situated a 10-minute walk from the British diplomatic headquarters, remains open.

However, staff were warned this week to restrict their movements amid an uptick in militant attacks.

"In light of the heightened tensions and recent attacks on Westerners in the region, the US Embassy has recommended that its staff carefully scrutinize their personal movements and consider staying close to their residences and neighborhoods over the coming period," the embassy’s Bureau of Diplomatic Security said in a memo. 

Ansar Beit al-Maqdis, the Sinai-based militant group that recently pledged allegiance to Islamic State, on Monday claimed responsibility for the death of William Henderson, a Texan oil worker killed in August during an apparent car-jacking in Egypt’s Western Desert.

The embassy closures and travel warnings are likely to impact Egypt’s economy, which depends to a large extent on income from tourism, especially in Red Sea resorts like Sharm el-Sheikh.

At its peak, tourism was estimated to contribute more than 11 percent of Egypt’s GDP, as well as employing some 12 percent of the workforce.