US Announces Partial Evacuation Of Embassy In Niger

The United States has ordered the partial evacuation of its embassy in Niger after last week's coup.

The United States has ordered the partial evacuation of its embassy in Niger after last week's coup.

Source : Getty

The United States has ordered the partial evacuation of its embassy in Niger after last week's coup, as reported by BBC. Several foreign nationals had already been evacuated from the country. The protestors attacked the French embassy on Sunday, the BBC reported. The leader of the coup, Gen. Abdourahamane Tchiani, has issued a warning against "any interference in the internal affairs," as quoted by the BBC.

Spokesperson Matthew Miller said that the country's embassy in Niamey would remain open despite the evacuation. "We remain committed to the people of Niger and our relationship with the people of Niger, and we remain diplomatically engaged at the highest levels," he said, as quoted by the BBC. The US, which has been an important donor of humanitarian and security aid to Niger, has said that the coup could result in the suspension of all cooperation.

A group of West African nations have imposed sanctions and threatened the use of force with Niger after a coup ousted President Mohamed Bazoum and dethroned country’s democratically elected government, Reuters reported. The bloc has also asked Niger to release and reinstate the President within a week. The deadline has been issued by the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas), The Guardian stated in a report. This comes as France denounced the violence that erupted outside its embassy in Niger. 

According to AFP, a junta took control of Niger in a coup this week and France’s embassy in Niger’s capital was attacked during pro-junta and pro-Russia protests on Sunday, as per The Guardian.  The bloc said: "In the event the authorities’ demands are not met within one week, [we will] take all measures necessary to restore constitutional order in the republic of Niger. Such measures may include the use of force. To this effect, the chiefs of defence staff of Ecowas are to meet immediately" 

President Bazoum was deposed by Gen Abdourahamane Tchiani, the head of Niger’s presidential guard. The Guardian mentioned that after the Wednesday coup, Tchiani was declared the head of state. 

Meanwhile, Ecowas also warned to suspend all commercial and financial transactions between Niger and the organisation’s 15 member states. As per the report, the group threatened to freeze the country’s assets in the bloc’s central banks after it met in Nigeria to discuss the crisis on Sunday. Notably, Ecowas and the eight-member West African Economic and Monetary Union are focusing on ways to restore President Bazoum. Niger’s new military junta has already said it is prepared to retaliate if any military interventions take place. 

The Niger coup has been widely condemned by neighbouring countries and international partners. They have also refused to recognise the new leadership.

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