Tensions rise in post-coup Niger as US evacuates embassy

The State Department said the US had ordered the evacuation of a number of employees and families from its embassy in Niger following last week’s coup d’état, while Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said the White House was committed to restoring the West African nation’s government.

According to The Guardian, Niger was considered a key ally of the West in the fight against Islamist rebels in the Sahel region. Foreign powers denounced the military takeover, fearing that it could allow the militants to strengthen their positions.

“Given the ongoing events in Niger and as a matter of precaution, the State Department is ordering the temporary departure of U.S. government personnel and eligible family members from the U.S. Embassy in Niamey,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said in a statement. At the same time, it is noted that the diplomatic mission will remain open and its leadership will continue to work from there.

Blinken told ousted Niger President Mohammed Bazum in a phone call Wednesday that Washington remains committed to restoring a democratically elected government, the State Department also said.

Matthew Miller said the US continues to “engage diplomatically at the highest level,” adding that the US embassy remains open to provide limited emergency services to US citizens.

The US announcement came after Niger’s self-proclaimed new leader said the junta would not reinstate Bazum despite pressure from neighboring countries.

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has imposed sanctions on Niger and said it could authorize the use of force if coup leaders do not restore Bazum’s presidency within a week of last Sunday. On Wednesday, the bloc sent a delegation to Niger to negotiate with the leaders of the coup.

In a televised address, General Abdurahman Tiani said the new authorities “completely reject these sanctions and refuse to succumb to any threats, no matter where they come from. We refuse any interference in the internal affairs of Niger.”

ECOWAS has struggled to contain the “democratic rollback” in West Africa and vowed it would no longer tolerate coup d’état following military coups in the member states of Mali, Burkina Faso and Guinea over the past two years. as well as attempted coup d’état in Guinea-Bissau.

“The military option is the last option on the negotiating table, the last resort, but we must prepare for this turn of events,” said Abdel-Fataw Musa, ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security. “It is necessary to demonstrate that we not only know how to bark, but we can also bite.”

France, meanwhile, has asked the new authorities in Niger to “fully guarantee” the security of its embassy in Niamey ahead of protests scheduled for Thursday in the capital.

The French Foreign Ministry said it had asked the Nigerien security forces to take the necessary measures to ensure that “the security of foreign diplomatic missions and diplomatic personnel is guaranteed”, adding that this is an “obligation under international law, especially under the Vienna Convention” .

The coup sparked protests against France – Niger’s former colonial ruler and traditional ally – and Paris evacuated its citizens on Tuesday after a violent demonstration outside its embassy. During the rally, the windows of the mission were smashed and the crowd chanted anti-French slogans.

During the operation, almost 1,000 people – mostly French nationals, but including citizens of other countries – were evacuated to France.

Tiani, the former head of Bazum’s presidential guard, locked Bazum in his palace last week and later declared himself head of state.

The 15-nation West African Regional Group ECOWAS took the hardest line against the coup, prompting Mali and Burkina Faso, also ruled by the military, to declare that any armed intervention in Niger would be seen as a declaration of war against them too.

On Wednesday, the World Bank suspended payments to Niger, except for private sector partnerships, in another blow to military leaders.

Niger has one of the largest World Bank portfolios in Africa, worth $4.5 billion, covering the country’s priority sectors, and has also received $600 million in direct budget support from the bank between 2022 and 2023, The Guardian notes.

Earlier, France, the United States, Germany and Italy sent troops to Niger to participate in counterinsurgency and training missions, helping the local army fight groups associated with Al-Qaeda (a terrorist organization banned in the Russian Federation) and the Islamic State (ISIS – terrorist organization banned in Russia).

According to British Foreign Secretary James Cleverley, the first group of British citizens have already been evacuated. The British left Niger on a French flight on Wednesday evening and the Foreign Office said a team in Paris was “ready to support them as they landed”.

“The British Ambassador and the core team remain in Niger to support the very small number of British citizens who are still there,” a Foreign Office spokesman said.

Italy began evacuating European citizens from Niger on Tuesday.

So far, the withdrawal of the Western military contingents located on the territory of the republic has not been announced. In Niger, where the US military operates from two bases, there are about 1,100 US troops.