Military chiefs from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) were set to hold talks Wednesday in the Nigerian capital Abuja about last week’s coup in Niger, while several European nations work to evacuate their nationals from Niger, writes VOA.
ECOWAS said in a brief statement the Committee of Chiefs of Defense Staff would discuss the “political situation in the Republic of Niger” in their meetings lasting through Friday. An ECOWAS delegation was also expected to arrive Wednesday in Niger’s capital for talks with junta members. France’s military and foreign ministry worked to carry out multiple evacuation flights Wednesday from Niger.
The foreign ministry said the first two flights that landed in Paris carried more than 350 French nationals along with people from Niger, Portugal, Belgium, Ethiopia, Lebanon, Germany, Canada, India, Austria and the United States.
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani shared a photo of an Italian air force plane that he said had landed early Wednesday with Italians who left Niger.