British nationals evacuated from Niger on flight to Spain after military coup
The UK ambassador to Niger and a core team remain in the country after military takeover
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Your support makes all the difference.A group of British nationals have been evacuated from Niger on a flight to Spain following a military coup in the West African nation.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) on Friday said they had departed that morning and would be supported by officials from the department on arrival in Madrid.
The UK’s ambassador to Niger Catherine Inglehearn and a “core team” remain in the country, the FCDO said.
The first group of Britons arrived in France on Wednesday after being evacuated from Niger.
Violence has broken out in Niger after soldiers detained President Mohamed Bazoum and seized power last week.
The takeover has been condemned by Western nations and West African leaders who have threatened to forcibly remove the ruling junta if it does not hand back power to Mr Bazoum.
Hundreds of anti-Western protesters rallied in the capital Niamey on Thursday after the military leaders and civil society groups called on people to mobilise to fight for the country’s freedom and reject foreign interference.
The march fell on the day Niger marked its independence from its former colonial ruler, France, with which junta said it is severing military ties.
Many European countries have moved to evacuate their citizens as tension increased in the capital and elsewhere.
An FCDO spokesperson said: “A group of British nationals has left Niger on a Spanish flight this morning. We have a team in Madrid ready to support them on landing. The UK’s Ambassador and a core team remain in Niger.
“We are grateful to Spain for their help in this evacuation.”