US Orders Partial Embassy Evacuation in Response to Niger Uprising, Warns Citizens Against Travel

A week after the West African country of Niger was shaken by a military coup that drew criticism from all around the world, the United States has ordered a partial evacuation of its embassy there. The US State Department urged non-emergency US government workers and eligible family members to leave Embassy Niamey in a new travel alert for Niger.

The Department of State is directing eligible family members and non-emergency U.S. government workers to temporarily leave the U.S. Embassy in Niamey due to the current events in Niger and a desire for safety. There are few possibilities for commercial flights, according to a statement from the State Department.

As a result, “we updated our travel advice to reflect this and informed U.S. citizens that given our reduced personnel, we are only able to provide emergency assistance to U.S. citizens in Niger,” it said.

Although the advise cautioned US nationals “not to travel to Niger,” it refrained from recommending that all Americans leave the landlocked African nation. The advice continued, “The U.S. Embassy in Niamey has temporarily reduced its staff, suspended routine services, and is only able to provide U.S. citizens in Niger with emergency assistance.”

Despite vehemently condemning the removal of President Mohamed Bazoum, unlike France and other European nations, the United States did not force evacuations or halt assistance to Niger, according to AFP.

In a statement released late on Wednesday, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller stated, “The United States rejects all attempts to overthrow Niger’s constitutional order and stands with the people of Niger in support of democratic governance and respect for the rule of law and human rights.”

The US is still “engaged diplomatically at the highest levels,” he said.

Earlier, he claimed that there was no evidence of threats to Americans in Niger or American facilities like the embassy and claimed that Niamey’s situation was “calm” and “fluid.”

Approximately 1,000 US soldiers are stationed in Niger, where they assisted the country’s deposed leader, Mohamed Bazoum, in fending off a local Islamist insurgency. When members of his own security arrested Bazoum at the presidency on July 26, he was toppled.