The Latest Breaking News from Niger

Defence chiefs demand reinstatement of president after coup, which triggered exodus of foreign nationals

All of Niger’s borders had been closed after an announcement by the coup makers on state television last week.

Here is a roundup of the key events since a military coup took place in Niger on Wednesday, July 26.

Not everyone is hostile to last week's coup in Niger

West African regional bloc ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States) on Wednesday said it sent a delegation to Niger to negotiate with the coup leaders who seized power last week, adding that a military intervention in the junta-led country was “the last option”. The diplomatic push comes as French…

In tonight's edition: As the first few hundred French and European nationals are evacuated from coup-hit Niger, the military governments of Mali and Burkina Faso say any foreign armed intervention in Niamey will be treated as a declaration of war against them all. Also, two protesters are killed in demonstrations…

A former jihadi fighter says the coup in Niger could boost the ability of Islamic extremists to recruit in the country, potentially increasing violence and further threatening the stability of Africa’s Sahel region

France began the evacuation of hundreds of European citizens from Niger on Tuesday, a day after neighbours Mali and Burkina Faso said any outside intervention to restore the ousted government would be seen as a declaration of war.

The coup in Niger has prompted concerns the West African country could curtail uranium exports, possibly hamstringing nuclear power production in France and beyond. But so far, source diversification and well-stocked inventories should be able to mitigate any disruptions in the short term, experts say.