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WORLD NEWS Thursday 3 augusT 2023
European militaries evacuate foreign nationals from

Niger

By SAM MEDNICK
Associated Press
NIAMEY, Niger (AP) — For-
eign nationals lined up out-
side an airport in Niger’s
capital to wait for French
military evacuation flights
Wednesday as defense
officials of a regional bloc
gathered to discuss how to
respond to last week’s mili-
tary coup in the West Afri-
can nation.
France, Italy and Spain all
have announced evacu-
ations of their citizens and
other Europeans in the
capital, Niamey, following
concerns they could be-
come trapped after sol-
diers detained democrati-
cally elected President Mo-
hamed Bazoum and seized
power. The West African French soldiers assist mostly French nationals in a bus waiting to be airlifted back to France on a
regional bloc ECOWAS has French military aircraft, at the international Airport in Niamey, Niger, Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2023.
threatened to use force to Associated Press
restore Bazoum to power, citizens in the impoverished mately 100 troops it has in day, hundreds of people
but the military-ruled gov- country of more than 25 the country, largely con- lined up outside the ter-
ernments of two of Niger’s million people. nected to the U.N. mission minal at Niamey’s airport
neighbors have sided with The U.S. government has in neighboring Mali. hoping to leave, after one
the coup leaders and yet to announce any de- Defense Minister Boris Pisto- of the French flights was
warned that they would cision on evacuation for rius said he spoke Tuesday canceled the night be-
consider any intervention American forces, diplo- with the German com- fore. Some slept on the
an act of war. mats, aid workers and other mander at the air base in floor, while others watched
A two-day meeting of de- U.S. citizens in Niger, an im- Niamey who told him the television or talked on the
fense chiefs of the 15-mem- portant counter-terror base German forces are in close phone.A passenger who
ber bloc opened Wednes- for the United States in the contact with the Nigerien did not want to be named
day in Nigeria’s capital to Sahel. Some Americans, military. “He told me clearly because of fears for per-
discuss next steps. Abdel- however, have left with the they are not at all worried sonal safety, said they tried
Fatau Musah, the ECOWAS help of the Europeans. about their safety at the to shield their children from
commissioner for political France has evacuated 736 moment,” Pistorius said. what was happening, tell-
affairs, peace and stabil- people on three flights, in- U.S. officials have stayed ing them “just that they’re
ity, said the meeting would cluding 498 French citizens engaged in trying to roll going home.” The passen-
deal with how to “negoti- as well as people from Ni- back the armed takeover, ger said they feared repri-
ate with the officers in the ger and at least 10 other with Secretary of State Ant- sal attacks against civilians
hostage situation that we countries, and fourth flight ony Blinken calling Niger’s if Niger’s regional neighbors
find ourselves in the Repub- was being readied, the president late Tuesday to follow through on threats to
lic of Niger.” ECOWAS on French Foreign Ministry express “continued unwav- intervene militarily.
Sunday also announced said. About half of the 1,200 ering support.” During Tuesday’s evacua-
sanctions against the coup French citizens registered A U.S. pullout from Niger tion flights at the airport, a
leaders including a block at the French Embassy would risk Washington’s passenger who also did not
on energy transactions with have asked to be evacu- longstanding counter-ter- want to be named over
Niger, which gets up to 90 ated, the ministry said. ror investments in the West fears for personal safety
percent of its power from An Italian military air- African country, including said that Nigerien soldiers
neighboring Nigeria, ac- craft landed in Rome on a major air base in Agadez raised middle fingers at
cording to the International Wednesday with 99 pas- that is key to efforts against waiting evacuees as the
Renewable Energy Agen- sengers, including 21 Amer- armed extremists across the soldiers sped off after es-
cy. Power transmission from icans and civilians from Sahara and Sahel. The Unit- corting an Italian military
Nigeria to Niger was cut off other countries, the Italian ed States has roughly 1,000 convoy to the airport.
as of Tuesday, an official defense ministry said. Ital- forces in Niger, and helps On Sunday, ECOWAS said it
at one of Nigeria’s main ian Foreign Minister Antonio train some Nigerien forces. would use force against the
electricity companies said, Tajani said the flights took Leaving Niger would also junta if it didn’t release and
speaking on condition of place with the permission risk yielding the country reinstate the president with-
anonymity because they of the new government. to the influence of Russia in a week. The announce-
were not authorized to Germany, which has en- and its Wagner mercenary ment was immediately re-
comment on the issue. The couraged its civilians in Ni- group, which already has a jected by neighboring Mali,
official did not clarify how ger to evacuate on French significant presence in Mali, Burkina Faso and Guinea,
much of Niger’s power the flights, said that it does not the Central African Repub- all of which are run by mu-
cut represented, but any currently see any need lic, and Sudan. tinous soldiers who toppled
cut would further squeeze to evacuate the approxi- Before sunrise Wednes- their governments.q