French nationals gather as they wait to be airlifted back to France on a French military aircraft
WASHINGTON, Aug 3 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The US government is ordering many of its embassy personnel to temporarily leave Niger amid the country’s military coup.
The State Department announced Wednesday evening that it was ordering “non-emergency US government personnel” and their families to leave Niger. A core group of staffers will remain, and the facility will not close. But the embassy has “suspended routine services, and is only able to provide emergency assistance to U.S. citizens in Niger.”
Such orders typically apply primarily to American citizens and it was not immediately clear if it would apply to non-US citizens employed by the embassy.
The decision was made “out of an abundance of caution,” State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in the announcement. He noted that “commercial flight options are limited.” It was not clear how or exactly when the embassy personnel and their relatives could be taken out, but chartered flights are a potential option.
Niger, which only recently transitioned to democracy, is a key US partner in the battle against terrorism, and the US military has a presence in the country. The Biden team is struggling with whether to even formally declare the events a coup, because doing so could endanger its US military aid to Niger, providing an opening for Russia to increase its influence in Africa.
A US diplomatic pullout could undermine the Biden administration’s repeated statements of support for currently ousted Nigerien President Mohamed Bazoum and his allies. But leaving diplomats in potential danger could hurt Biden domestically.
European militaries, including the French armed forces, have already begun evacuating foreign nationals from the country. One development that prompted the extractions was intelligence indicating the ruling junta could take foreigners hostage and use them as human shields in the event of a military intervention, a former US official familiar with the discussions said.
During his regular briefing for reporters on Wednesday, Miller insisted the Biden administration believes there’s still a chance to reverse the ouster of Bazoum. “We constantly monitor events on the ground and make decisions based on what’s appropriate to safeguard our personnel,” Miller said.
At the moment, the situation on the ground in the capital, Niamey, is relatively stable, the diplomat said. But protests are expected on Thursday, and an earlier demonstration led to an attack on the French Embassy.
A State Department travel alert that included the ordered departure notice Wednesday warned of potential unruliness. “With the ongoing efforts to overturn constitutional order, there may be increased demonstrations that can lead to civil unrest and government instability,” it stated.
The U.S. military has 1,100 troops in Niger, primarily stationed at Air Base 101 in Niamey and Air Base 201 at Agadez, which is a $100 million U.S.-funded facility that hosts American drones used to hunt terrorists. The American troops had been training and advising the Nigerien armed forces, but the Pentagon largely suspended that mission after the coup attempt.
Most American troops in Niger have been largely restricted to their bases for force protection reasons, according to a Defense Department official. — NNN-AGENCIES
