Italy’s foreign minister on Tuesday said the government would arrange a special flight to repatriate nationals from Niamey, the capital of Niger after a military takeover took place 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 messaging platform X, formerly known as Twitter.

In remarks sent to Reuters via his office, Mr Tajani said the Italian embassy remained open and the ambassador was returning to Niger from Rome where she went for the UN Food Sustems summit last week.

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

Italy said its offer of a flight did not amount to launching a formal evacuation, while France – the former colonial power in Niger – 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. 

(Reuters/NAN)