France evacuates 736 people from Niger: Foreign Ministry
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The French Foreign Ministry says a fourth flight is currently being prepared to evacuate more people from Niger following the coup.
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French and other European citizens getting registered for an evacuation flight outside the departure terminal at Niamey's Diori-Hamani international airport, on August 1, 2023 (AFP)
The French Foreign Ministry confirmed on Wednesday that France evacuated 736 people from Niger and is currently preparing the next evacuation flight.
Earlier in the day, the ministry said that 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 tweeted.
Dutch Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra confirmed that six Dutch nationals also left Niger on Wednesday.
"We keep in close contact with 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 30, thousands of people took to the streets against France and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in the Nigerien capital of Niamey, 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 also said that the European Union had decided to evacuate all its citizens from Niger.
Read more: Niger reopens land borders with neighboring nations after coup
US to evacuate embassy staff, families from Niger
In the same context, Reuters reported, citing an anonymous US official, that the United States is preparing to evacuate some staff and their families from its embassy in Niger following the coup.
The US official explained that the decision to evacuate personnel was a precautionary measure in case the security situation worsened, but the core embassy staff would remain in place.
The official added that the US personnel would be evacuated out of Niger in a civilian aircraft.
France, the United States, Germany, and Italy have military forces on the ground in Niger under the pretext of fighting terrorism.
As of now, there has been no announcement of troop withdrawals from Niger. The United States currently maintains around 1,100 troops in the country, operating from two bases.
On July 26, Niger's presidential guard detained President Mohamed Bazoum. The guard's commander, Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani, proclaimed himself the country's new leader.
The French Foreign Ministry said that French President Emmanuel Macron had spoken to Bazoum last week and that Paris continued to recognize him as the only legitimate leader of the African country.
Military intervention in Niger 'last resort': ECOWAS
Also on Wednesday, senior ECOWAS official, Abdel-Fatau Musah, said during a meeting of ECOWAS military chiefs held in the Nigerian capital Abuja, that the West African bloc has affirmed its position that military intervention in Niger to reinstate Bazoum would constitute a "last resort", noting that negotiations are currently being held with the military junta.
"(The) military option is the very last option on the table, the last resort, but we have to prepare for the eventuality," Musah indicated.
During the meeting, the leaders discussed options for military intervention in Niger. A source familiar with the talks told reporters that the goal of the meeting is to outline a plan for the intervention, its strategy, logistical aspects, and timetable.
On Monday, the interim governments of Mali and Burkina Faso warned that any military intervention against Niger would be considered a declaration of war against them.
Niger sanctioned with electricity cuts
As part of the measures aimed at choking the military junta in Niger, neighboring country Nigeria has cut all its electricity supplies to Niger -- which accounts for 70% of Niger's electricity.
"Since yesterday, Nigeria has disconnected the high-voltage line transporting electricity to Niger," a source at Niger's power company Nigelec told AFP.
As part of regional "efforts" to reinstate Bazoum, ECOWAS implemented a series of sanctioning measures, including suspending all financial aid to Niger, freezing the assets of the coup leaders, as well as those of their families and supporters, and imposing a ban on commercial flights to and from the country.
