With the country unsettled from an ongoing coup that ousted a democratically elected leader, the State Department ordered a partial evacuation of non-emergency American personnel and families from the embassy in Niger, the Washington Post reports. State Department officials had previously recommended all Americans leave the country.
The Pentagon has suspended cooperation agreements with the Nigerien military, a key partner to US forces in the region, while the military-led coup plays out. The actions were announced to get as many Americans out of the region in case a full withdrawal becomes necessary later.