Togo's transport ministry suspended the ride-hailing app Yango owned by Russia's tech giant Yandex, over security concerns just months after it began operating in the West African nation.

In a statement on Thursday, the ministry said that Yango began operating in June without authorization and in violation of the country's procedures.

The ministry said the decision was taken over concerns for the safety of passengers, order and legal procedures.

"The activities of the operator YANGO are therefore suspended across the entire national territory," the statement said.

Yango said the ride-hailing company operated independently from Yandex and was headquartered in Dubai. It said talks were underway with the government in Togo and that it was confident a solution would be reached to continue operations there.