France is preparing to evacuate its citizens from Niger after a presidential coup plunged the West African nation into a political crisis that polarized neighboring countries in the region
French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna said the first evacuation plane was “airborne,” but did not specify if the flight departed for or from Niger. There are “several hundred French and several hundred European” citizens that wish to leave Niger and will be evacuated by France, the minister told French broadcaster LCI, adding that she hopes to see the operation completed in 24 hours.
A Guinean presidency statement praised the Nigerien public and said “illegitimate and inhumane” sanctions would lead to the disruption of ECOWAS. It went on to warn that a military intervention would result in a human disaster “that could reach far beyond Niger’s borders.” What led to the coup? Niger was one of the few remaining democracies in Africa’s Sahel region, where disputes over how to quell Islamist insurgencies gave rise to numerous power grabs including in Mali and Burkina Faso.
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