PARIS: First flight has made touch down at Paris Roissy Charles de Gaulle airport carrying mostly French and Europeans from troubled Niger.
The coup in Niger a week ago has seen President Mohamed Bazoum getting ousted by the head of Niger’s Presidential Guard General Abdourahamane Tiani who declared himself as new president.
Former president Mohamed Bazoum is held captive by the military since July 26.
Niger was the last pro-Western government in Sahel region which has witnessed three military coups in less then three years with the first two in Burkina Faso and Mali.
The evacuees from Niger are relieved to land in Paris but at the same time are concerned as what will happen in future in the region that is marred by political strife.
The plane Air Bus A330 carried 262 passengers including a dozen infants stated French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna.
Besides French and European nationals the plane carried Nigeriens, Portuguese, Belgians, Ethiopians and Lebanese.
Two more flights are also scheduled for Wednesday to evacuate the remaining foreign nationals from the troubled area.
France and European Union have halted their operations in Niger besides economic assistance and United States has also issued a warning to Niger after the coup.
