Devendra Kumar
The French military transport plane carrying Europeans left Niger on Tuesday, marking the first such evacuation flight since mutinous soldiers ousted the democratically elected president, Mohamed Bazoum, nearly a week ago. The French government, along with Italy and Spain, announced evacuations for their citizens and other European nationals, citing concern over becoming trapped in the military coup.
France’s foreign ministry noted recent violence targeting its embassy in Niamey, the capital, as one of the reasons for the evacuation. The closure of Niger’s airspace “leaves our compatriots unable to leave the country by their own means.” The French government estimated that several hundred of its citizens and other Europeans would be evacuated.
Spain’s defense ministry announced plans to evacuate over 70 nationals, and Italy is also arranging a flight. Germany’s foreign office recommended that its citizens accept France’s offer to fly them out.
The crisis has deepened since the coup, with tensions rising over the junta’s insistence on staying in power. The West African regional body, ECOWAS, has announced travel and economic sanctions against Niger, warning that it could use force if the coup leaders do not reinstate Bazoum within a week. However, the new junta has received backing from the military governments of Mali and Burkina Faso, which have themselves undergone multiple coups in recent years.
Mali and Burkina Faso have expressed support for the Nigerien junta, denouncing ECOWAS’s sanctions as “illegal, illegitimate, and inhumane.” The two countries have a history of military coups and have faced economic sanctions from ECOWAS, which has suspended them from the regional bloc.
The situation is complex, with no clear explanation for the references to Russia, which has been a symbol of anti-Western sentiment in some African countries. Thousands of pro-junta supporters took to the streets in Niamey, waving Russian flags and chanting slogans against France.
If ECOWAS uses force, it could trigger violence between civilians supporting the coup and those against it, Niger analysts say. The US has sent troops and military aid to Niger, which has been a key partner in the fight against extremism in the region. If the coup is successful, the US may consider cutting aid, as it is “very much in the balance depending on the outcome of the actions in the country.”