Niger Coup: US Orders Evacuation of Embassy

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Facts

  • The US on Wednesday announced that it was ordering the temporary evacuation of all non-emergency government employees from its embassy in the Nigerien capital, Niamey, amid the fragile political situation following last week's coup.1
  • Without specifying when the evacuation will begin, the State Department said the decision was made "out of an abundance of caution," adding that the diplomatic mission will remain open to provide emergency assistance to US citizens in the West African country.2
  • Washington remains diplomatically committed "at the highest levels," the State Department said, with US Sec. of State Antony Blinken telling ousted Nigerien Pres. Mohamed Bazoum on Wednesday that the US remains dedicated to restoring the democratically elected government.3
  • The US announcement follows similar moves by European countries to evacuate their citizens from Niger. On Wednesday, 262 evacuees arrived in Paris and another 87 people — 36 Italians, 21 US citizens, and one Briton — landed in Rome.4
  • The French Foreign Ministry urged Nigerien security forces to "fully guarantee" the security of its embassy ahead of Thursday protests that saw hundreds of coup supporters gather in the capital.5
  • Meanwhile, coup leader General Abdourahmane Tchiani warned of military intervention against the new military leadership in a televised address on Wednesday and promised to work on the necessary conditions for a peaceful transition to elections.6

Sources: 1Al Jazeera (a), 2POLITICO, 3Guardian, 4BBC News, 5Al Jazeera (b), and 6Associated Press.

Narratives

  • Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by Consortium News. The fact that the US is now evacuating its embassy staff is yet another symbol that the era of Western neocolonialism is coming to an end in West Africa as a result of the coups in Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso, and now Niger. All over the Sahel, people are tired of the West talking about democracy and fighting terrorism while it's primarily interested in the exploitation of resources such as gold and uranium. It's time for Africa to free itself from the structures of economic exploitation and the military presence of France and the US.
  • Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by Time. The evacuation of US and European citizens from Niger is a tragic development for the West African country, which was considered the West's last remaining major partner in the fight against Islamist extremists in the Sahel. While the US and French militaries are in Niger fighting terrorism, Washington has supported Niamey with hundreds of millions of US dollars in military assistance. Now Niger risks selling out to Russia and its Wagner mercenaries, and the coup will contribute to instability and insecurity in the region.