EU countries to evacuate citizens from Niger as coup leaders get support from West African juntas

France, Italy and Spain have announced plans to evacuate their citizens from Niger, days after a junta seized power in the country.

Transcript

00:00 France says it will start evacuating French and European citizens from Niger as the crisis

00:06 in the country deepens, despite a mediation mission by Chad's president on Monday.

00:11 Idris Deby met with General Abdur Rahman Chiani, the head of the Presidential Guards Unit,

00:16 who declared himself Niger's new ruler on Friday.

00:20 He also met ousted leader Mohamed Bazoum, producing the first photos of Bazoum since

00:25 last week's military coup.

00:28 The junta has accused former colonial power France of plotting a military intervention

00:33 to reinstate Bazoum, allegations Paris denies.

00:37 But angry protests outside the French embassy have led to fears French citizens and interests

00:43 could be targets.

00:45 Regional group ECOWAS has imposed sanctions, warning coup leaders that it reserves the

00:50 right to use force if they don't cede power within a week.

00:55 But the military regimes of neighboring Mali and Burkina Faso have vowed to back the new

01:00 regime in the AME, saying any military intervention would be considered a declaration of war.

01:07 [WHOOSH]