NIGER: Following last week’s coup, the US announced a partial evacuation of its embassy in Niger. Several foreign nationals have already been evacuated, and the French embassy faced an attack by protesters.
Coup leader Gen. Abdourahamane Tchiani has warned against any interference in the country’s internal affairs. In addition to being a vital migration route to North Africa and the Mediterranean, Niger is a major producer of uranium.
According to the State Department, Antony Blinken, the US Secretary of State, spoke with ousted President Mohamed Bazoum on Wednesday and reaffirmed the US commitment to restoring Niger’s democratically elected government.
According to spokesperson Matthew Miller, the country’s embassy in the capital, Niamey, would remain open despite the partial 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 stated.
The US, a key provider of security and humanitarian help to Niger has previously issued a warning that the coup might result in the suspension of all cooperation. The EU and France, a former colonial power in Niger, have already discontinued financial and development assistance.
15 West African nations that make up the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) have enacted sanctions against Niger, including a halt to any business dealings with it and a freeze on its assets held at the central bank of the region.
In a televised statement on Wednesday, Gen. Tchiani declared that the new government rejects these sanctions in their entirety and refuses to yield to any threat, no matter where it comes from. He referred to the sanctions as “cynical and iniquitous,” adding that they were implemented to degrade Niger’s security forces and make the country “ungovernable.”
However, they stressed that such action would only be taken as a “last resort.” On Wednesday, military leaders from Ecowas met in Nigeria to discuss potential military involvement.
Gen. Tchiani, a former head of Bazoum’s presidential guard, seized control of Niger on July 26 and declared he wanted to stop “the gradual and inevitable demise” of the country.
The coup has sparked major protests against France, which remains a significant ally, and in support of Russia, whose influence in West and central Africa has increased in recent years.
On Sunday, a large crowd of demonstrators gathered in front of the French embassy in Niamey; some of them were yelling, “Down with France,” “Long live Russia,” and “Long live Putin.”
They also set fire to the embassy compound’s walls. On Wednesday, 262 individuals landed in Paris on evacuation aircraft set up by the French government. 87 passengers from a flight organised by Italy also touched down in Rome. During his speech, Gen. Tchiani stated that French citizens in Niger have never experienced any significant threats.
Niger, a country where France and the US have military bases, has been a crucial ally in combating jihadist extremism in the Sahel region. After Mali’s military leaders opted to collaborate with the Russian Wagner mercenary group in 2021, France relocated the focal point of its regional counter-terrorism operations to Niger.
Also Read: West Africa Stands Firm against Niger Coup Leaders, French Embassy Subjected to Violence
