updates
262 evacuees landed in Paris
Niger opens borders with five neighboring countries
8/1/2023 9:36 p.m
Relations between France and Niger have been strained since the coup. Now Paris is starting to evacuate French citizens from the African country. Meanwhile, the military announces the opening of the borders.
After the military coup in West African Niger, the military reopened land and air borders with five neighboring countries. One of the putschists declared on national television that the borders with Algeria, Burkina Faso, Libya, Mali and Chad would be open again “from today”. Shortly after last week’s coup, the military closed the borders and imposed a curfew.
The announcement of the reopening of the borders came amid an evacuation campaign by France. The first French plane carrying evacuees has arrived at Roissy Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris. Airport sources said the plane landed shortly after 1:30 a.m. According to French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna, there were 262 people, including a dozen babies, on board the Airbus A330. Almost all passengers are French, she said.
According to information from the French General Staff, another plane should fly to France that night. A third aircraft should also be able to be used for the evacuation. France had offered to evacuate people from other European countries from Niger. The Foreign Office in Berlin had said it was advising Germans in Niger to accept the offer.
According to the ministry, around 500 to 600 French people had previously been in Niger. French soldiers are also stationed in the country. In addition, there were pro-coup protests in the Nigerien capital Niamey over the weekend. Demonstrators also reportedly gathered in front of the French embassy. Some are said to have torn down the embassy plaque, trampled it and replaced it with Nigerien and Russian flags. Paris condemned the violence.
France does not recognize new rulers
Niger’s new military junta accused France of planning military intervention in the country. On Wednesday last week, officers from General Abdourahamane Tian’s elite unit arrested the democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum and declared him ousted. Tiani proclaimed himself the new ruler on Friday. Shortly after taking power, the putschists suspended the West African country’s constitution and dissolved all constitutional institutions.
France does not recognize the new rulers and is demanding a return to the constitutional order around President Bazoum. The former colonial power France has stationed around 2,500 soldiers in Niger and in neighboring Chad. For Paris, Niger was one of the last local partners in the fight against terrorism in the Sahel. The country is also important for France because of its uranium deposits.