NIAMEY, Niger (AP) — A French military transport plane carrying Europeans from Niger arrived in Paris Wednesday, in the first such evacuation flight since mutinous soldiers ousted the country’s democratically elected president nearly a week ago and shut its borders. The evacuations come during a deepening crisis sparked by the coup last week against Bazoum. His apparent overthrow is a blow for Western nations that were working with Niger against West African extremists. “Jihadis are very supportive of this coup that happened in Niger, because it will allow them to become very strong,” he said. If ECOWAS uses force, it could also trigger violence between civilians supporting the coup and those against it, Niger analysts say.

Source: Daily Sun August 01, 2023 22:30 UTC