France Commences Evacuation Of Citizens In Niger Tuesday

France will commence evacuating its nationals from Niger on Tuesday, the foreign ministry disclosed, after a coup last week toppled the country’s pro-Western leader.

The decision to move citizens out was prompted by attacks on the French embassy in Niamey, and the closure of Niger’s airspace which made regular departures impossible, the ministry said in a statement issued.

France had earlier on Tuesday said that it was preparing an evacuation “in the face of a deteriorating security situation in Niamey” but gave no timeframe.

There are an estimated 600 French nationals in Niger, not counting visiting tourists or French residents currently outside the country.

The foreign ministry added that France was also offering to evacuate other European nationals.

The French government convened a ministerial meeting Tuesday to decide on the exact modalities of the evacuation.

According to a source, France intend to use military personnel transport planes.