In the aftermath of last week's coup in Niger, the United States has taken the decision to partially evacuate its embassy in the country.

Many foreign nationals have already been evacuated, and a recent attack on the French embassy by protesters has raised concerns about security.

The coup leader, Gen Abdourahamane Tchiani, has issued a warning against any interference in the country's internal affairs. Despite an official ban on demonstrations, protests in support of the coup are expected on Niger's independence day.

France, as the former colonial power, has requested the military junta's assurance of embassy security and organized evacuation flights for its citizens and other Europeans.

The situation in the capital, Niamey, appears to be relatively calm for now, but there are underlying anxieties about the future. Niger's significance as a uranium producer and its location on a major migration route add further complexities to the evolving situation.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke to the ousted President, Mohamed Bazoum, on Wednesday, the state department says, adding that the US is committed to the restoration of Niger's democratically elected government.

Spokesperson Matthew Miller said that, despite the partial evacuation, the country's embassy in the capital Niamey would remain open.

"We remain committed to the people of Niger and our relationship with the people of Niger and we remain diplomatically engaged at the highest levels," he said.

The US is a major donor of humanitarian and security aid to Niger and has previously warned that the coup could lead to the suspension of all cooperation.

The British embassy in Niger's capital, Niamey, has also announced that it will also reduce staff numbers due to the security situation.

France and the EU have already suspended financial and development aid.

The Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas), a trade bloc of 15 West African countries, has imposed sanctions which include a halt on all commercial transactions with Niger and a freeze on the country's assets in the regional central bank.

Niger's electricity company also says that neighboring Nigeria has cut electricity supplies, leading to widespread power cuts, although this has not been confirmed by Nigeria.

In a televised address on Wednesday, Gen Tchiani said the new regime rejected "these sanctions as a whole and refuses to give in to any threat, wherever it comes from".

He labeled the sanctions "cynical and iniquitous" and said they were intended to "humiliate" Niger's security forces and make the country "ungovernable".

Military chiefs from Ecowas met in Nigeria on Wednesday to discuss a possible military intervention, though they said such action would be a "last resort".

Gen Tchiani, a former chief of the presidential guard to Mr. Bazoum, seized power on 26 July, saying he wanted to avert "the gradual and inevitable demise" of Niger.

The coup has prompted major demonstrations against France, which remains a major partner, and in favor of Russia, whose influence in West and Central Africa has grown in recent years.

On Sunday, hundreds of protesters gathered outside the French embassy in Niamey, some chanting "Long live Russia", "Long live Putin", and "Down with France".

They also set fire to the walls of the embassy compound.

On Wednesday, 262 people arrived in Paris on evacuation flights organized by the French government. A flight organized by Italy also landed in Rome with 87 people on board.

In his address, Gen Tchiani said French people in Niger had never been subjected "to the least threat".

Niger, where both France and the US maintain military bases, has been a key Western ally in the fight against jihadist extremism in the Sahel.

After military leaders in neighboring Mali chose to partner with the Russian Wagner mercenary group in 2021, France moved the center of its regional counter-terror operations to Niger.

That is going to have a serious negative impart on the nation.

That is going to have a serious negative impart on the nation.

Better