Italy preps to repatriate nationals from Niger, arranges special flights for evacuation

Italy’s foreign minister on Tuesday said the government has started arranging special flights to repatriate nationals from Niamey, the capital of Niger, after a military takeover in the African state.

“The Italian government has decided to offer our fellow citizens in Niamey the chance to leave the city on a special flight to Italy,” Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani posted on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.

Tajani said the Italian embassy remained open and the ambassador was returning to Niger from Rome where she had gone for the U.N. Food Systems summit last week.

“Italy wants to pursue political and diplomatic mediation efforts,” Tajani said.

The country also indicated its offer of flights did not amount to launching a formal evacuation, while France — the former colonial power in Niger – earlier in the day said it would start repatriating its nationals and other European citizens willing to leave the country.

France and Italy, along with the United States and Germany, have troops in Niger on counter-insurgency and military training missions but so far there has been no announcement of them being evacuated.