Niger: Getting UK nationals out of the country is priority, minister says

Getting British nationals retired of Niger and to information is simply a precedence of the UK government, Foreign Secretary James Cleverly has said.

Violence has breached retired successful the westbound African state pursuing past week's subject coup.

Labour has urged the authorities to bash the same, but nary plans for Britons person yet been announced.

The authorities has truthful acold advised British nationals to registry their whereabouts and enactment indoors.

Shadow overseas caput David Lammy said: "The concern successful Niger is deteriorating rapidly pursuing the caller coup, portion the closure of Niger's airspace is preventing British nationals from leaving by their ain means.

"British nationals who privation to get retired of the state should present beryllium supported by the authorities to evacuate."

Mr Cleverly, who is presently successful Nigeria arsenic portion of a three-country circuit of Africa, said: "The UK government's precedence remains the information of British nationals and helping them get retired of the state to safety."

The coup has prompted demonstrations against France, the erstwhile assemblage powerfulness successful Niger, with the French embassy coming nether attack.

Early connected Wednesday 262 radical arrived successful Paris from Niger, portion Italy has besides organised a flight, which arrived successful Rome with 87 evacuees.

The level was carrying 36 Italians, 21 Americans and 1 Briton, according to Reuters quality agency.

Niger, which is affluent successful uranium, has been a cardinal Western state successful the combat against jihadist extremism successful the Sahel region. Both France and the US person subject bases there.

There are an estimated 600 French nationals and 500 Italians - mostly successful the subject - successful Niger but determination are believed to beryllium less than 100 British nationals. The Foreign Office is besides advising immoderate different Britons against travelling to Niger.

German citizens successful Niger - who are thought to fig less than 100 - person been urged to permission the state aboard planes organised by France, portion the Spanish authorities said it was preparing to evacuate astir 70 of its citizens.

President Mohamed Bazoum, Niger's archetypal democratically elected person since the country's independency successful 1960, was detained by his statesmanlike guards past week.

The West African determination bloc Ecowas has said it would usage unit unless the president was released and reinstated wrong a week.

But juntas successful neighbouring Mali, Burkina Faso and Guinea, besides erstwhile French colonies, warned immoderate forcible involution would beryllium seen arsenic a declaration of war.

There are concerns Niger's caller enactment could present determination distant from its Western allies and person to Russia, similar Burkina Faso and Mali, which person some pivoted towards Moscow since their ain subject coups.