Swiss among several hundred Westerners evacuated from Niger

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Close to a thousand people, including ten Swiss nationals, have been flown out of Niger following last week’s coup. 

On Wednesday, several aircraft evacuated expatriates from the capital, Niamey, to Paris and Rome. Around ten Swiss nationals were able to leave Niger at their own request. They took advantage of an evacuation flight led by France, according to the foreign ministry.

Bern is continuing to monitor developments in Niger closely and remains in contact both with its partner states and with the 20 or so Swiss nationals still in the country, the ministry said.

A total of 992 people were evacuated on four flights out of the West African country, including 560 French nationals. A fifth French government plane landed at Niamey’s civilian airport on Wednesday evening to evacuate French and European nationals, the French armed forces told news agency AFP. This should be the very last flight to evacuate people wishing to leave the country, it added.

Italy announced “the return of 99 Italians and foreigners”, including 68 civilians.

France prime target

This is the first mass evacuation organised by France in the Sahel, where coups d’état have multiplied since 2020.

Paris justified the evacuation by the “violence that took place” against its embassy on Sunday during an anti-French demonstration, and by “the closure of airspace”.

France, a former colonial power in the region and a staunch supporter of President Bazoum, appears to be the prime target of the soldiers who overthrew him, led by General Abdourahamane Tiani.

The evacuation of the 1,500 or so French troops stationed in Niger is “not on the agenda”, according to the French armed forces headquarters.