Paris/Rome, Aug. 1, (dpa/GNA) – France and Italy announced plans on Tuesday to begin evacuating their citizens from Niger, where the security situation has deteriorated following a military coup last week.
The German government advised its citizens to leave and urged them to take up France’s offer to fly them out of the West African country.
France was to start evacuating its citizens as soon as Tuesday, the Foreign Ministry in Paris said. Some 500 to 600 French people were in the country, it said, adding that other Europeans who wanted to leave could come with them.
Italy would fly its citizens out of Niger on a special flight, said Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, who put the number of Italians in Niger at 100. He said Italy’s embassy in Niamey will remain open.
The Spanish Foreign Ministry is also working on the evacuation of 70 or so citizens, reported Spanish public broadcaster RTVE.
On Wednesday last week, officers from General Omar Tchiani’s elite unit detained democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum and declared him deposed. Tchiani appointed himself the new ruler on Friday.
Over the weekend there were pro-coup protests in Niamey. Demonstrators gathered in front of the French embassy and reportedly tore down the embassy plaque, trampled on it and replaced it with Nigerien and Russian flags.
The 15-member Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) issued an ultimatum to the coup leaders on Sunday: If Bazoum is not released and reinstated within a week, ECOWAS will take measures that could include the use of force.
Neighbouring Burkina Faso and Mali, which are both run my military juntas, warned ECOWAS against intervening in Niger. They said in a joint statement that any military intervention would be tantamount to a declaration of war against them.
They also said if ECOWAS intervened militarily in Niger, they would withdraw from ECOWAS.
Shortly after Tchiani’s coup, he declared himself the de facto president of Niger and suspended the country’s constitution and dissolved all constitutional institutions.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock thanked her French counterpart for helping to fly German nationals out of Niger.
“The top priority for the government at this time is, of course, the safety of German nationals in the country. As in previous crises, we are coordinating closely with France and our other European partners in this regard,” Baerbock said in a statement circulated by the Foreign Ministry on Tuesday.
She welcomed the efforts of ECOWAS to find a political solution.
“The people of Niger deserve a democratic future. We are working with our partners to ensure that the coup leaders engage in mediation efforts for the good of their country and no longer cling to power,” Baerbock said.
The former colonial power France has about 2,500 soldiers stationed in Niger as well as in neighbouring Chad. Niger was recently one of its last local partners in the counter-terrorism fight in the wider Sahel region.
The country is also of interest to the EU because of its uranium, but the European Commission said on Tuesday the supply was secure.
Uranium is a naturally occurring radioactive heavy metal. The raw material is used for the operation of nuclear power plants, with Niger being an important supplier for some European Union countries.
“I can confirm that there is no supply risk as such when it comes to the EU,” the spokesman said.
There are currently sufficient stocks of natural uranium in the EU, he said.
For the medium and long-term, there are enough deposits on the world market to cover the EU’s needs, he added.
GNA