Biden calls for release of Niger president, family

President Biden is calling for the immediate release of Niger’s President Mohamed Bazoum and his family following last week’s military takeover of the country’s democratically elected government.

Military soldiers led by Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani arrested Bazoum and declared Tchiani Niger’s head of state.

“I call for President Bazoum and his family to be immediately released, and for the preservation of Niger’s hard-earned democracy,” Biden said in a statement Thursday morning. “The Nigerien people have the right to choose their leaders. They have expressed their will through free and fair elections — and that must be respected.”

Bazoum was elected in 2021 in Niger’s first peaceful, democratic transition since it gained independence from France.

The U.S. Department of State on Wednesday night ordered a temporary partial evacuation of the U.S. embassy in Niamey for all nonemergency U.S. government personnel and eligible family members. The State Department said the U.S. embassy will remain open for limited, emergency services for U.S. citizens.

The Biden administration is also holding back on labeling the takeover as a “coup,” as the country still has around $200 million of humanitarian and economic support in the country. Kamissa Camara, a senior adviser for Africa at the U.S. Institute of Peace, previously said not immediately calling it a coup helps maintain “channels of communication,” and the U.S. support to Niger.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken last week said the assistance was “in jeopardy” amid the military takeover.

“Our economic and security partnership with Niger — which is significant, hundreds of millions of dollars — depends on the continuation of the democratic governance and constitutional order that has been disrupted by the actions in the last few days,” Blinken said at a press conference in Brisbane, Australia.

The U.S. has not indicated it will evacuate the estimated 1,100 U.S. troops in Niger involved in counterterrorism, surveillance and intelligence gathering with Nigerien forces.

The European Union and countries including France, Germany and Italy have already suspended assistance to the Nigerien government and advised their citizens to take evacuation flights out of Niger.