France has initiated an aerial evacuation operation on Tuesday to evacuate French and European civilians from Niger following last week’s coup. This marks the first large-scale evacuation from the Sahel region, where coups have occurred repeatedly since 2020. The authorities hope to complete the evacuation on Wednesday, while the French military headquarters clarified that evacuating French soldiers stationed in Niger is not on the agenda.
The evacuation process began on Tuesday evening, with the first plane carrying French and other citizens departing from Niamey and arriving at Roissy-Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris. French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna stated that the aircraft, an Airbus A330, had 262 passengers on board, including 12 infants, she mentioned that the majority of the passengers were French citizens, and there were also some European citizens among them.
The evacuation comes in response to the unstable situation in Niger after the recent coup, and it aims to ensure the safety and well-being of the affected civilians. French authorities are taking decisive measures to protect their citizens and ensure their timely return to their home country during this challenging period in the Sahel region.