PARIS, Aug 2 (Reuters) – The first military planes carrying mostly European nationals evacuated from Niger landed in Paris and Rome on Wednesday, with France and other countries expected to fly of their citizens out of the West African country after last week’s coup.
A military juntaoverthrewNiger’s democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum and his government on July 26 in the seventhmilitary takeoverin less than three years in West and Central Africa.
The first French flight left Niger on Tuesday evening and landed in Paris early on Wednesday with 262 people on board, according to Reuters journalists there.
“Things could have turned ugly but it still is nice to be back here,” a French evacuee who gave his name as Charles told Reuters TV.
An Italian military plane carrying 87 evacuees from Niger arrived in Rome early on Wednesday, according to Reuters journalists at the airport.
Some 36 Italians, as well as 21 U.S. citizens, four Bulgarians, two Austrians and one citizen each from Britain, Niger, Hungary, Senegal, and Nigeria were on the plane, as well as military personnel.
The recent coups in the region have come amid a wave of vitriol aimed at former colonial power France that resulted in its troops having to withdraw from Mali and Burkina Faso this year and last.
Many of those soldiers are stationed in Niger.
The United States, Germany, and Italy also havetroops in Nigeron counter-insurgency and training missions. There has been no announcement of troops being evacuated.