The Government prepares to evacuate the 70 Spaniards from Niger after the coup

The Government of Spain is already working on the evacuation by air of the more than 70 Spaniards located in Niger, given the deterioration of security in the country after the military coup that has overthrown President Mohamed Bazoum.

The decision of the Spanish authorities is due to the absence of commercial flights that could be used by Spanish citizens, after the closure of the airspace in Niger and the current instability in the country.

For several days now, the heads of the Spanish embassy in Niger have made an email and a consular emergency telephone number available to Spaniards in that country to coordinate this evacuation operation.

The operation, coordinated between the Ministries of Defense and Foreign Affairs, the European Union and Cooperation, has been launched on the same day that France also announces that it will remove its citizens from the African country.

The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced on Tuesday the implementation of an evacuation plan for its almost 600 citizens, as well as for Europeans who want it, from Niger, “given the deterioration of the situation” after the coup military that occurred at the end of last week.

France will also remove its nationals

“France is preparing the evacuation of its nationals and Europeans who wish to leave the country,” the statement said, adding that the decision was motivated by the attacks a couple of days ago on the Embassy in Niamey, the capital, as well as due to the closure of the airspace that has prevented them from leaving Niger.

The evacuation plan will be coordinated with the current Niger authorities, adds the French Foreign Ministry, although those who want to leave the country must go to the starting point, which will be announced “as soon as possible”, by their “own means “.

In principle, among the evacuees would not be the 1,500 French soldiers who have deployed in Niger, whose work was suspended by order from Paris last Saturday in response to the military coup on July 26.