Niger - Amid escalating anti-French sentiments following the recent coup in Niger, flights have transported evacuated Europeans to France and Italy.

France initiated the evacuation of its citizens from Niger in the wake of the coup's aftermath. A total of 262 individuals arrived in Paris early on Wednesday. The coup's occurrence triggered demonstrations targeting the former colonial power, with even the French embassy being subjected to an attack.

Nevertheless, France has indicated that it currently has no intentions of repatriating approximately 1,000 French soldiers stationed in Niger as part of counter-terrorism efforts against Islamist militants.

Germany has advised its nationals to avail themselves of France's offer of assistance for other Europeans. In parallel, Italy coordinated an evacuation flight that touched down in Rome slightly after 05:00 local time on Wednesday, bringing with it 87 evacuees.

This flight contained 36 Italians, 21 Americans, and a single Briton, according to reports from Reuters news agency.

Notably, the junta leadership in both Burkina Faso and Mali issued a stern warning that any attempts to forcibly reinstate the ousted president would be regarded as an act of war. Both these neighboring countries, also former French colonies, have been shifting away from France and toward Russia after staging their own coups in recent times. This stance introduces a significant development that could escalate an already volatile situation in a region grappling with an Islamist militant insurgency.

Against this backdrop, military leaders from West African nations are convening in Nigeria to deliberate on potential interventions in Niger.

Niger's military government has announced the reopening of its borders with Algeria, Burkina Faso, Libya, Mali, and Chad. However, the land border with Nigeria remains closed.

Niger, renowned for its uranium resources, has played a pivotal role as a Western ally in combating jihadist extremism in the Sahel region. Both France and the United States maintain military bases there. Following Mali's decision to collaborate with Russian Wagner mercenaries in 2021, France shifted the hub of its regional counter-terror operations to Niger.