First evacuation flights from Niger landed in Paris and Rome

2023-08-02 04:49:00

According to the Ansa news agency, there were 87 people on board the plane, including 36 Italians, 21 Americans, four Bulgarians and two Austrians.

France had previously reported that a first evacuation flight with more than 260 people on board had taken off from Niamey. There was no information as to whether people from other EU countries were on board the machine to France. According to information from the French General Staff, another plane should fly to France that night. A third aircraft should also be able to be used for the evacuation. According to the information, there are around 500 to 600 French in the country. It was said that other Europeans who wanted to leave the country could come with them.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs: “Just a handful” of Austrians registered in Niger

According to the Austrian Foreign Ministry, “just a handful” of Austrians are registered in the West African country. The Austrian Embassy in Algiers and the Citizens’ Service of the Foreign Ministry are already in contact with those who are registered, the Foreign Ministry announced on Tuesday. In addition, since the putsch, the Austrian authorities have been in close contact with European and international partners in order to support all those wishing to leave the country safely.

In the past few days, the Foreign Ministry in Vienna has issued a travel warning for the whole country and has asked Austrians to leave Niger. “The security situation for foreigners is currently extremely critical,” the website said on Monday.

Video: France starts evacuation

Meanwhile, Niger has reopened land and air borders with five neighboring countries. One of the putschists said on national television on Tuesday that the borders with Algeria, Burkina Faso, Libya, Mali and Chad would be open again “from today”. All land and air borders of the country had been closed on the evening of the coup.

In addition, an ultimatum from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) expires on Sunday, which had called for the restoration of constitutional order in Niger and threatened violent intervention.

People at the airport in Niamey are waiting for departure.
Image: STRINGER (AFPTV)

Video: The situation in Niger

On Wednesday last week, the Presidential Guard took power in Niger, and the military joined them. The democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum was arrested. Former colonial power France has stationed troops in Niger for a decade to support the fight against Islamists in the region. Bundeswehr soldiers are also stationed in Niger as part of international missions. They play an important role in supplying and transporting the Bundeswehr contingent in neighboring Mali. The USA and Italy have also stationed troops in Niger. It has not yet been announced that soldiers are also to be flown out.

On Sunday, coup supporters burned French flags and attacked the French embassy in the capital, Niamey. French President Emmanuel Macron said any attack on French interests in Niger would be met with a “quick and uncompromising response”. France is present in Niger with 1,500 soldiers.

Ministers and senior politicians arrested

According to the previous governing party, the new military rulers arrested further ministers and high-ranking politicians on Monday. The coup has fueled concerns that security across the Sahel may be at risk. It is the seventh coup in less than three years in West and Central Africa.

The regional economic bloc ECOWAS has imposed sanctions on Niger, including halting all financial transactions and freezing national assets. Niger is the world’s seventh largest producer of uranium, which is used in nuclear energy and cancer treatment, among other things. A spokesman for the EU Commission said EU utilities had sufficient stocks of natural uranium to mitigate near-term supply risks. French nuclear fuel company Orano said its operations in Niger would continue and would not be affected by the evacuations because 99 percent of its employees were Nigerien nationals.