France asks Niger forces to guarantee embassy safety as protests hit capital

Protesters gesture during a demonstration on independence day in Niamey on August 3, 2023. Security concerns built on August 3, 2023 ahead of planned protests in coup-hit Niger, with France demanding safety guarantees for foreign embassies as some Western nations reduced their diplomatic presence. AFP - -

France has asked Niger's new junta to "fully guarantee" the safety of its embassy in Niamey on Thursday hours before hundreds of pro-military protesters took the sreets of the capital following last week's coup.

France's foreign ministry said it had asked Nigerian security forces to take the necessary measures to ensure the security of foreign diplomatic personnel.