The United States is pausing certain foreign assistance programs benefiting the government of Niger amid the military takeover in the West African country Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced Friday . The provision of lifesaving humanitarian and food assistance will continue . The Economic Community of West African States has warned that they will use military force unless the coup leaders back down by Sunday . In recent days the US State Department ordered the departure of nonemergency personnel and family members from the country though the embassy remains open and the roughly US troops stationed in Niger remain there . The US and partners have been engaged in intensive diplomatic efforts to try to restore democratic rule to Niger which had become a point of stability in the Sahel region . The U.S. government will continue to review our foreign assistance and cooperation as the situation on the ground evolves, according to Blinken said in a press conference on Thursday. The US State Dept. said . The State Department has been working with ECOWAS to coordinate the negotiations with the military in Niger to understand what that would mean for our partnership going forward. We have our own equities as well so were also working with them the military to understand the consequences of if this succeeds what that will mean for their partnership going ahead, said a senior State Department official . The embassy is still open and it remains open, but the embassy in Niger remains open with the embassy is open and there are roughly the embassy and the approximately US troops remain there. The embassy remains closed and the US is open. The American troops are stationed in Niamey and the U.N. is still in the country. The military is in the region. The United Nations has said it has said that it has been in a position to provide an adequate security.
US pauses certain assistance programs to Niger’s government . US paused certain assistance program to Niger
