The United States condemns efforts to detain or subvert the functioning of Niger's democratically elected government, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said on Wednesday, and urged the release of President Mohamed Bazoum after he was detained inside his palace.
"We specifically urge elements of the presidential guard to release President Bazoum from detention and refrain from violence," Sullivan said in a statement. The White House was monitoring the situation to ensure the safety of U.S. citizens, he added.inside his palace in Niamey, the capital, on Wednesday in what neighboring countries called an attempted coup, but which the presidency described as an "anti-republican" movement "in vain.
"It's not entirely clear what's going on," Kirby said. The U.S. would not make any conclusions yet if it considered it a coup attempt, he said in response to a question, adding, "We'll just have to watch and see where it goes."
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