The United States will evacuate some embassy staff and their families from Niger, where a group of soldiers seized power last week. This was announced by the US State Department on Wednesday.
The ministry said in a statement that it would allow non-essential government employees and their family members to leave the embassy in Niamey. The US Embassy in Niger’s capital will remain open.
The White House said on Tuesday that there is no immediate danger to Americans in Niger at this time and that the government will therefore not change anything about their presence there.
Evacuation flights, initiated by France and Italy, left Niger on Tuesday evening. The Italian Foreign Ministry told Agence France-Presse that there were also 21 Americans on board the Italian evacuation flight. There were also Americans on the French flights.
Niger’s self-proclaimed new leader said on Wednesday that France had no reason to remove its citizens from the country. General Abderrahmane Chiani announced that the French in Niger had nothing to fear. He says he will not yield to the international call to bring back President Mohamed Bazoum.
A delegation from the West African Partnership (ECOWAS) visited Niger on Wednesday. The Economic Community of West African States threatened to intervene in the country if the military coup did not end before the end of the week. Niger itself also belongs to the Economic Partnership of West African States. The other 14 member states announced sanctions on poor Niger. Neighboring Nigeria cut off power to Niger earlier on Wednesday, which depends on Nigeria for 70 percent of its electricity needs.
Chiani described the measures as “illegal, unfair and inhumane” on Wednesday. The general said that he and his fellow coup plotters reject any form of interference in Niger’s “internal affairs.”
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