Niger: US announces partial evacuation of embassy

The United States has ordered the partial evacuation of its embassy in Niger following last week’s coup.

Hundreds of foreign nationals have already been evacuated from the country, and on Sunday the French embassy was attacked by protesters.

Coup leader Gen Abdourahamane Tchiani has warned against “any interference in the internal affairs” of the country.

Protests in support of the coup are expected to take place on Thursday to mark Niger’s independence day.

That is despite an official ban on demonstrations.

France, the former colonial power in Niger, has asked the military junta which has taken control of the country to guarantee the security of their embassy.

Crowds attacked the French diplomatic mission on Sunday, prompting the country to organize evacuation flights.

More than 1,000 French citizens and other Europeans have now been flown out, according to France’s Defence Minister Sébastien Lecornu.