France will start evacuating its citizens and other European nationals from Niger on August 1, the country's foreign ministry said on Tuesday, after protests near the French embassy in Niamey
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 01st August, 2023) France will start evacuating its citizens and other European nationals from Niger on August 1, the country's foreign ministry said on Tuesday, after protests near the French embassy in Niamey.
"In view of the situation in Niamey, the violence that took place against our embassy the day before yesterday, and the closure of airspace which has left our compatriots unable to leave the country by their own means, France is preparing the evacuation of its nationals and those European nationals who would like to leave the country. The evacuation will begin today," the ministry said in a statement.
Later on Tuesday, French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna told the LCI broadcaster that her country was planning to evacuate around 200 French and other European citizens who want to leave the West African nation. The minister noted that evacuations would be carried out by two planes, flying from Niamey to Paris with no stopovers.
France has "secured the necessary arrangements" to carry out evacuations in closed airspace, Colonna said, adding that she hoped they would be completed in 24 hours.
Flight tracker Flightradar24 showed that an Airbus A330-243 plane, registered to the French government, landed at the Niamey airport at around 12:00 GMT.
The BFMTV broadcaster reported that the two evacuation planes are expected to land in Paris on Tuesday night.
Germany's foreign ministry confirmed that Paris had offered Germans spots on evacuation planes from Niger.
"All German nationals in Niamey are recommended to accept this offer," the ministry said.
Italy will arrange an evacuation flight from Niger for Italian citizens willing to leave the conflict-torn African nation, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said on Tuesday.
"Niger. The Italian government has decided to offer our citizens in Niamey a possibility of leaving the city on a special flight to Italy. The embassy in Niamey will remain open and continue its operation as well as facilitate mediator efforts," Tajani tweeted.
Meanwhile, the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has urged UK citizens to refrain from visiting Niger due to an unstable situation in the African country.
"The FCDO advises against all travel Niger, including the capital city of Niamey. If you are a British national in Niger, we advise you to register your presence in Niger," the foreign ministry said in a statement on its official website.
The foreign office added that it recorded a "particular instability" in Niger's Tillaberi region near the country's borders with Mali and Burkina Faso and in Diffa near the Lake Chad Basin, according to the statement.
On Sunday, thousands of supporters of the military coup in Niger took to the streets across the country to protest against actions of France and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). Among other locations, activists gathered in front of France's embassy in the country's capital of Niamey. Protesters were reported chanting slogans against former colonial ruler France and ECOWAS. President of France Emmanuel Macron said that Paris would respond "immediately" to any violence against French people in Niger and would "not tolerate any attack on France and its interests."
Last Wednesday, Niger's presidential guard detained President Mohamed Bazoum. The guard's commander, Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani, proclaimed himself the country's new leader. France's foreign ministry said that Macron had spoken to Bazoum on Friday and that Paris continued to recognize him as the only legitimate leader of the African country. On Saturday, France suspended all financial aid to Niger until constitutional order is restored. On the next day, ECOWAS gave Niger's coup leaders one week to reinstate the detained president to power saying that it could use "all measures," including military, to restore order in the country.
