France and Italy to fly citizens out of Niger - as two West African nations back the coup
France and Italy have announced plans to fly their citizens out of Niger following a military coup in the country.
The French Foreign Ministry in Paris cited recent violence outside
its embassy in Niamey, the capital of the West African nation, as one of
the main reasons for the evacuation of its citizens, and European
nationals.
Italy's foreign minister also announced on Tuesday that
the government would also arrange a special flight to repatriate its
citizens from Niamey.
Niger's neighbours Mali and Burkina Faso,
meanwhile, have warned other West African nations against military
intervention against the new junta.
The West African regional body - known as ECOWAS - has previously
threatened the use of force if coup leaders in Niger do not reinstate
the country's elected president.
But Mali and Burkina Faso, themselves both run by military
governments, have said they will consider any direct intervention in
Niger as a "declaration of war" against them.
The two countries -
who are both currently suspended from ECOWAS - have also denounced the
regional body's economic sanctions against Niger as "illegal,
illegitimate and inhumane" and have refused to apply them.
ECOWAS
suspended all commercial and financial transactions between its member
states and Niger, as well as freezing Nigerien assets held in regional
central banks, in the wake of the military coup.
Niger - already one of the poorest countries in the world - has also
faced cuts to foreign aid from Western nations following the military
takeover.
Mali and Burkina Faso, which neighbour Niger on its
western border, have each undergone two coups since 2020. Both are
currently suspended from ECOWAS as a result.
