Citizens of Italy, the United States, and other countries evacuated from Niger, West Africa, where a military coup took place, arrived in Rome on the 2nd (local time). Reuters Yonhap News
European countries, including France, have begun an operation to evacuate their citizens from Niger, West Africa, where a military coup took place. AFP and others reported that a plane carrying 262 people, including Frenchmen, from Niger arrived in Paris at dawn on the 2nd (local time). In addition to French nationals, the French foreign ministry explained that there were also citizens of other countries, including Nigeria, Portugal, Belgium, Ethiopia and Lebanon, on board. Several more aircraft are scheduled to arrive in Paris on the afternoon of the 2nd. The French Foreign Ministry announced plans to evacuate its citizens on the 1st in the wake of anti-French protests sparked by military forces who staged a coup in Niger. This is the first time that France has conducted a large-scale evacuation operation in West Africa, a former colony. French authorities explained that the evacuation operation was due to violence targeting the local embassy and the risk of airspace closure. In addition to French nationals, it plans to help evacuate European citizens who want to leave Niger. However, France said it was not considering the evacuation of 1,500 local troops. On the same day, Italy mobilized military aircraft to evacuate 36 Italian citizens, 21 American citizens, and 87 citizens from around the world, including Austria, Britain, Niger, Hungary, Senegal and Nigeria. They arrived in Rome at dawn on the 2nd, according to Reuters. Only some Italian citizens remain in the country, and the Italian embassy in Niamey, the capital, is also in the position that it will continue to operate. Some 300 Italian troops remain in the area. The government has yet to make a statement on whether troops will be evacuated. The German Ministry of Foreign Affairs has advised about 100 German citizens in the area to board an evacuation plane provided by France. Spain’s Ministry of Defense also said it was preparing to evacuate about 70 of its citizens in the area. France, Italy, and Germany, along with the United States, are dispatching troops to Niger for military training and civil war suppression. Correspondent Noh Ji-won, Berlin/[email protected]
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2023-08-02 07:48:23
