:quality(75)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/elcomercio/TKX5IR3ALRGNXMUODAFDNBVKR4.jpg)
The Foreign Ministry of France has announced that the operation to evacuate its citizens from Niger It will begin this Tuesday and that “European citizens who wish to leave the country” will be able to join it.
READ ALSO: Medvedev Says Russia Would Nuke If Ukraine Counteroffensive Succeeds: Can This Threat Be Taken Seriously?
“Given the situation in Niameyof the acts of violence perpetrated the day before yesterday against our embassy and the closure of airspace, which leaves our compatriots without the possibility of leaving by their own means, France prepares the evacuation of its nationals and European citizens who wish to leave the country. This evacuation will begin today.”said the Ministry.
The government of France estimates that French civilians in Niger They amount to between 500 and 600 people. Other European governments, for the moment, have not announced evacuation operations, but countries like Spain they have asked their citizens to report their whereabouts to the Embassy.
In an interview on BFMTV broadcast last night, the French Foreign Minister, Catherine Colonnareiterated his country’s calls for the reinstatement of the deposed president, Mohamed Bazoumand denied the accusations of the Nigerian coup military that France was preparing a military intervention.
He also stressed that it is “possible” that Russia try to get “advantage” of the crisis, but avoided blaming Moscow of the coup and attributed it to “an opportunistic action” by a high military official.
Franceformer colonial power of Nigerhas a contingent of 1,500 soldiers in that African country to support the fight against jihadism and strong interests in the uranium extraction sector, with which it powers its crucial nuclear power plants.
Last Sunday, during a demonstration called in support of the putschistsSeveral hundred people violently protested outside the French embassy in the capital of Niger.
In response, the government of President Emmanuel Macron He strongly warned that he would act “immediately and decisively” if there were attacks against his interests.
This Monday, the Élysée pointed out that Macron has spoken on several occasions with bazoumand with his predecessor who is acting as a mediator, as well as with the leaders of other countries in the region, within a long series of contacts in search of a solution to the crisis in Niger.
Source: Elcomercio
I am Jack Morton and I work in 24 News Recorder. I mostly cover world news and I have also authored 24 news recorder. I find this work highly interesting and it allows me to keep up with current events happening around the world.
