Aug. 1 (UPI) — France said Tuesday it was beginning to evacuate citizens from Niger in the wake of a military coup that unseated democratically-elected president Mohamed Bazoum.
“Given the situation in Niamey, and the violence that took place against our embassy and the closing of airspace that leaves our citizens without any possibility of leaving the country by their own means, France is preparing to evacuate those of its citizens and European citizens who want to leave the country,” a message from French officials said. “The evacuation will begin today.”
The evacuations were set to be coordinated with Niger, with the government saying they would take place within “a limited time span” and urging citizens to prepare their IDs, small luggage as well as water and food for the trip.
As many as 600 French citizens are believed to be residing in Niger after hundreds left the country earlier this month on school breaks.
The move came after supporters of the military burned French flags and launched an assault on the French embassy on Sunday as the junta had claimed that France was trying to use its military to put Bazoum back in power.
French authorities denied such an effort but President Emmanual Macron promised swift retaliation if any French citizen was harmed.
The European Union had not begun its own coordinated evacuation program but Italy, which is believed to have about 500 nationals in Niger said it would also launch evacuations.
“The Italian government has decided to offer our fellow nationals present in Niamey the possibility to leave the city with a special flight for Italy,” Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said.
The military coup leaders have made a sweep of public official arrests since taking control, including the detention of the nation’s oil, mining, interior and transport ministers, along with the former defense minister.
A 15-country block of West African nations has promised military force if Niger’s military coup did not return leadership back to the citizens.
Niger becomes the third former French African colony to face military coups in recent years. Mali and Burkina Faso also saw their governments overturned by the military. Niger’s military took control of the country on July 2
