Germany has temporarily withdrawn its diplomatic staff from Niger over concerns about the security situation in the country.

Berlin cited fears that Western nationals are prime targets for kidnappings carried out by terrorist groups and criminal gangs.

The United States ordered its own embassy staff to leave the country in late January.

Monitoring groups say Islamic militant groups have deepened their presence in the border areas between Niger, Benin, and Nigeria over the last year. Violent attacks are up by 80 percent, and the number of deaths has tripled.

Niger has been plagued by jihadist violence for more than a decade. Affiliates of al-Qaeda and the Islamic State have been consolidating control, including a deadly attack on an airbase in the capital Niamey last month.

Since seizing power in 2023, the country's military junta has struggled to contain the violence. It has cut ties with France and other Western powers and turned to Russia for military support to fight the insurgents.