US Embassy staff in Niger to be evacuated.
US Embassy in Niger Prepares for Evacuation Amid Political Turmoil
The United States is set to evacuate some staff and families from its embassy in Niger after military officers seized power, a U.S. official said on Wednesday, even as the mission will remain open and senior leadership will continue working from there.
Niger, a key Western ally in the fight against Islamist insurgents, has recently experienced a political takeover that has raised concerns among foreign powers. The fear is that this power shift could potentially allow militants to gain ground.
The official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, revealed that a final decision on the evacuation is still pending, but it appears likely.
“This is a prudent move in case the security situation deteriorates, and the core embassy staff will remain,” the official stated.
The official also emphasized that the evacuation of U.S. personnel will be carried out using aircraft chartered by the State Department, with military aircraft not being utilized.
Politico first reported this development.
International Efforts to Address the Situation
France, the United States, Germany, and Italy have deployed troops in Niger to support counterinsurgency and training missions, assisting the local army in combating groups affiliated with al Qaeda and Islamic State.
France and Italy have already begun evacuating European citizens from Niger, with the first military planes carrying European nationals landing in Paris and Rome on Wednesday.
As of now, there have been no announcements regarding the withdrawal of troops. The United States currently has approximately 1,100 troops stationed in Niger, operating from two bases.
Lessons Learned from Previous Evacuations
The United States faced criticism for its handling of the evacuation of U.S. citizens in Sudan during the recent outbreak of violence between the military and the well-armed Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group.
While the U.S. embassy in Khartoum was evacuated and operations suspended due to security risks, U.S. citizens encountered difficulties leaving the country amidst the chaos, including incidents of robbery and looting.
At that time, the Biden administration stated that U.S. military aircraft were not necessary for the evacuation, as there was sufficient space on aircraft from other countries flying in and out of Sudan.
(Reporting by Idrees Ali and Daphne Psaledakis; Editing by Mark Porter and Lisa Shumaker)
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