UK says temporarily reducing embassy staff in Niger due to 'security situation'

UK says temporarily reducing embassy staff in Niger due to 'security situation'

Britain said on Thursday it was temporarily cutting its embassy staff in Niger following a military coup.

The coup in Niger is the third in three years in the restive Sahel region
AFP

"Due to the security situation the British Embassy in Niamey is temporarily reducing the number of its staff," the foreign office said in a statement.

READ: First evacuation flight from coup-hit Niger lands in France

The United States on Wednesday ordered the partial evacuation of diplomatic staff while France on Thursday asked the junta to ensure the safety of its mission and diplomatic personnel in Niamey after violent protests outside its embassy.

The putschists have accused France, Niger's former colonial ruler, of trying to intervene militarily in the West African country.

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