“[Regarding] Niger. The Italian government has decided to offer our fellow citizens in Niamey the possibility to leave the city on a special flight to Italy,” Tajani said via Twitter.
“The Embassy in Niamey will remain open and operational, including to contribute to the mediation efforts.”
The evacuation plan comes after Niger’s presidential guard surrounded the palace in the capital Niamey, detained elected president Mohamed Bazoum, and announced a new military government last week.
France is to start evacuating its own and European citizens from Niger, its foreign ministry said yesterday.
The European Union, meanwhile, has cut off financial support to Niger and the United States has threatened to follow suit.
Niger is one of the poorest countries in the world, receiving close to €1.82 billion (A$3.0 billion) a year in official development assistance, according to the World Bank.
It is also a key security partner of Western countries such as France and the US, which use it as a base for their efforts to contain an Islamist insurgency in West and Central Africa’s Sahel region.
Previously seen as the most stable country among several unstable neighbours, Niger is the world’s seventh-biggest producer of uranium.
The country’s foreign allies so far have refused to recognise the new military government led by General Abdourahamane Tiani, previously head of the presidential guard, who officers declared head of state on Friday.
Bazoum has not been heard from since early Thursday when he was confined within the presidential palace, although the European Union, France and others say they still recognise him as the legitimate president.
“In addition to the immediate cessation of budget support, all co-operation actions in the domain of security are suspended indefinitely with immediate effect,” EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said in a statement.
Niger is a key partner of the European Union in helping curb the flow of irregular migrants from sub-Saharan Africa.
The EU also has a small number of troops in Niger for a military training mission.
The EU allocated €503 million (A$833 million) from its budget to improve governance, education and sustainable growth in Niger from 2021-2024, according to its website.
The US has two military bases in Niger with some 1100 soldiers and provides hundreds of millions of dollars to the country in security and development aid.
“The very significant assistance that we have in place for people in Niger is clearly in jeopardy,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said.
US support depends on the continuation of democratic governance, he said.
The UN said the coup has not affected its deliveries of humanitarian aid.
It is unclear how much support the military junta has among Niger’s population.
ANSA & AAP
