The US State Department on Thursday announced a withdrawal of non-emergency staff and their families from its embassy in Niger's capital Niamey because of instability after the coup.
"Given ongoing developments in Niger and out of an abundance of caution, the Department of State is ordering the temporary departure of non-emergency US government personnel and eligible family members from the US embassy in Niamey," spokesman Matthew Miller said in a statement.
Last week, members of the Nigerien military claimed control of the country's institutions and installed its own leader, overthrowing the democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum.
It was the seventh military takeover in less than three years for the West and Central Africa region.
On Wednesday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with Mr Bazoum by phone, Mr Miller said in a separate statement.
"We reiterate that the safety and security of President Bazoum and his family are paramount," he said.
"The United States is dedicated to finding a peaceful resolution that ensures that Niger remains a strong partner in security and development in the region."
Earlier, Mr Miller said the evacuation was to protect "safety and security" of US citizens and government staff while "commercial flight options are limited".
France sent its first evacuation flight on Tuesday, on which people from several European states travelled. It has since sent two more, and a fourth is reportedly planned.
An Italian military plane with 99 passengers arrived in Rome from Niger on Wednesday and other countries are considering sending flights for additional nationals seeking to leave Niger.
The US embassy will continue to be "open for limited, emergency services for US citizens", Mr Miller said, while the government's travel advisory has raised its threat level to "Do not travel".
"We are only able to provide emergency assistance to US citizens in Niger given our reduced personnel."
The US has said it is in communication with military members now leading the country, and its newly appointed ambassador Kathleen FitzGibbon is set to arrive in Niamey soon.
"The United States remains committed to our relationship with the people of Niger and to Nigerien democracy," Mr Miller said. "We remain diplomatically engaged at the highest levels."
Niger evacuation flights land in Europe - in pictures
Countries recognising Palestine
France, UK, Canada, Australia, Portugal, Belgium, Malta, Luxembourg, San Marino and Andorra
MATCH INFO
Asian Champions League, last 16, first leg:
Al Ain 2 Al Duhail 4
Second leg:
Tuesday, Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium, Doha. Kick off 7.30pm
Ain Dubai in numbers
126: The length in metres of the legs supporting the structure
1 football pitch: The length of each permanent spoke is longer than a professional soccer pitch
16 A380 Airbuses: The equivalent weight of the wheel rim.
9,000 tonnes: The amount of steel used to construct the project.
5 tonnes: The weight of each permanent spoke that is holding the wheel rim in place
192: The amount of cable wires used to create the wheel. They measure a distance of 2,4000km in total, the equivalent of the distance between Dubai and Cairo.
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
Picture of Joumblatt and Hariri breaking bread sets Twitter alight
Mr Joumblatt’s pessimism regarding the Lebanese political situation didn’t stop him from enjoying a cheerful dinner on Tuesday with several politicians including Mr Hariri.
Caretaker Culture Minister Ghattas Khoury tweeted a picture of the group sitting around a table at a discrete fish restaurant in Beirut’s upscale Sodeco area.
Mr Joumblatt told The National that the fish served at Kelly’s Fish lounge had been very good.
“They really enjoyed their time”, remembers the restaurant owner. “Mr Hariri was taking selfies with everybody”.
Mr Hariri and Mr Joumblatt often have dinner together to discuss recent political developments.
Mr Joumblatt was a close ally of Mr Hariri’s assassinated father, former prime minister Rafik Hariri. The pair were leading figures in the political grouping against the 15-year Syrian occupation of Lebanon that ended after mass protests in 2005 in the wake of Rafik Hariri’s murder. After the younger Hariri took over his father’s mantle in 2004, the relationship with Mr Joumblatt endured.
However, the pair have not always been so close. In the run-up to the election last year, Messrs Hariri and Joumblatt went months without speaking over an argument regarding the new proportional electoral law to be used for the first time. Mr Joumblatt worried that a proportional system, which Mr Hariri backed, would see the influence of his small sect diminished.
With so much of Lebanese politics agreed in late-night meetings behind closed doors, the media and pundits put significant weight on how regularly, where and with who senior politicians meet.
In the picture, alongside Messrs Khoury and Hariri were Mr Joumbatt and his wife Nora, PSP politician Wael Abou Faour and Egyptian ambassador to Lebanon Nazih el Nagari.
The picture of the dinner led to a flurry of excitement on Twitter that it signified an imminent government formation. “God willing, white smoke will rise soon and Walid Beik [a nickname for Walid Joumblatt] will accept to give up the minister of industry”, one user replied to the tweet. “Blessings to you…We would like you to form a cabinet”, wrote another.
The next few days will be crucial in determining whether these wishes come true.
The Book of Collateral Damage
Sinan Antoon
(Yale University Press)
The%20specs
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INDIA SQUAD
Rohit Sharma (captain), Shikhar Dhawan (vice-captain), KL Rahul, Suresh Raina, Manish Pandey, Dinesh Karthik (wicketkeeper), Deepak Hooda, Washington Sundar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, Vijay Shankar, Shardul Thakur, Jaydev Unadkat, Mohammad Siraj and Rishabh Pant (wicketkeeper)
Company%20profile
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