US State Department orders evacuation of non-emergency personnel and family members from Niger – CNN

CNN
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The US State Department on Wednesday ordered the evacuation of non-emergency personnel and family members from Niger following last week’s military takeover.

“On July 26, President Mohamed Bazoum was placed under house arrest amidst efforts to overthrow the democratically elected government of Niger. Subsequent events have severely limited flight options,” the State Department said in an updated travel advisory.

“Given this development, on August 2, 2023, the Department ordered the departure of non-emergency U.S. government employees and eligible family members from Embassy Niamey,” it said. “The U.S. Embassy in Niamey has temporarily reduced its personnel, suspended routine services, and is only able to provide emergency assistance to U.S. citizens in Niger.”

The travel advisory warns Americans not to travel to Niger, setting the advisory level at its highest possible: Level 4.

“With the ongoing efforts to overturn constitutional order, there may be increased demonstrations that can lead to civil unrest and government instability,” it notes.

US officials have stressed that the situation in the West African country remains fluid, and there are intensive diplomatic efforts underway to restore democratically elected Bazoum to power.

An ordered departure does not mean that the US is shuttering its embassy or evacuating all of its diplomats, and officials have said that the situation on the ground in the capital city of Niamey is relatively calm.

The roughly 1,100 US troops in Niger are not expected to leave the country at this point, two US officials told CNN Wednesday, but they have been restricted to military bases.

State Department spokesperson Matt Miller said earlier Wednesday that there were no indications of specific threats to US personnel or facilities.

“The safety and security of our personnel and of US citizens overseas is our highest priority,” he said at a State Department briefing prior to the announcement of the ordered departure. “We constantly monitor events on the ground and make decisions based on what’s appropriate to safeguard our personnel.”

Miller could not speak to the number of US citizens in Niger. The State Department does not require American citizens to register when they travel abroad.

On Tuesday, however, the US Embassy in Niger asked Americans who are in the country and wish to leave to register with the US State Department.

The State Department created a similar form in the midst of deadly violence in Sudan, when scores of Americans were in need of assistance to depart the country.

This story has been updated with additional details.