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Niger is a key Western ally in a fight against Islamist
insurgents. Foreign powers have condemned the takeover, fearing
it could allow the militants to gain ground.
"Given ongoing developments in Niger and out of an abundance of
caution, the Department of State is ordering the temporary
departure of non-emergency U.S. government personnel and
eligible family members from the U.S. Embassy in Niamey," State
Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a statement.
"The United States remains committed to our relationship with
the people of Niger and to Nigerien democracy. We remain
diplomatically engaged at the highest levels," Miller said.
He said the embassy remains open for limited, emergency services
to U.S. citizens.
A U.S. official, speaking on the condition of anonymity prior to
the announcement, said U.S. personnel would be moved out of
Niger by aircraft chartered by the State Department and military
aircraft would not be used. The official said "core" staff will
remain at the embassy.
The State Department is advising Americans not to travel to
Niger.
France, the United States, Germany and Italy have troops in
Niger on counterinsurgency and training missions, helping the
army to fight groups linked to al Qaeda and Islamic State.
France and Italy are evacuating European citizens from Niger.
There has been no announcement of troops being withdrawn so far.
There are about 1,100 U.S. troops in Niger, where the U.S.
military operates from two bases.
The United States was criticized for its handling of the
evacuation of U.S. citizens in Sudan after the sudden eruption
of violence between the military and the well-armed Rapid
Support Forces paramilitary group on April 15 turned residential
areas into war zones and prompted hundreds of thousands of
people to flee.
Washington evacuated all government personnel from the U.S.
embassy in Khartoum and suspended operations there due to the
security risks. But U.S. citizens faced struggles leaving the
country amid the violence and encountered robbery and looting.
(Reporting by Idrees Ali and Daphne Psaledakis; Additional
reporting by Eric Beech Editing by Lisa Shumaker, Alistair Bell
and Chris Reese)
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