PARIS – France has evacuated 736 persons from Niger, where a military coup has recently taken place, and is preparing the next evacuation flight, Sputnik quoted the French Foreign Ministry yesterday.
Earlier in the day, the ministry said the first two evacuation flights had landed in Paris, evacuating 350 French nationals, as well as citizens of other countries, including Niger, Portugal, Belgium, Ethiopia, Lebanon, Germany, Canada, India, the United States and Austria.
“The three flights from Niamey (Niger’s capital) have evacuated 736 people, including 498 French citizens. A fourth flight is currently being prepared,” the ministry wrote on Twitter.
Later in the day, the ministry added that the fourth evacuation flight left Niger, bringing the total number of evacuees to nearly 1,000.
“The fourth plane with evacuees is heading to France, bringing the number of evacuees to 992, including 560 French citizens, as well as many foreign citizens,” the ministry added.
A group of six Dutch nationals also left the country yesterday, Dutch Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra said.
“We keep in close contact with the Dutch people who are still in Niger and do everything we can to get those who want to leave on a flight,” Hoekstra added in a statement.
On July 26, Niger’s presidential guard detained President Mohamed Bazoum. The guard’s commander Abdourahmane Tchiani, proclaimed himself the country’s new leader. The French Foreign Ministry said French President Emmanuel Macron had spoken to Bazoum on Friday and that Paris continued to recognise him as the only legitimate leader of the African country.
On July 30, thousands of people took part in a rally against France and the Economic Community of West African States in the Nigerien capital of Niamey on Sunday, opposing their condemnation of the coup in the country.
Following the protest, France started evacuating its citizens and other European nationals. On Tuesday, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said the European Union had decided to evacuate all its citizens from Niger. – Bernama, August 3, 2023
