Europeans evacuate Niger

France, Spain, and Italy ordered their citizens to leave Niger as unrest grows following the military coup last week. With planes grounded at the country’s major international airport, the French military has begun coordinating flights for hundreds of Europeans evacuating Niger. Spain and Italy also said they are still arranging flights out for their citizens.

Why didn’t they leave last week? The evacuation order comes after three other African countries also run by military juntas announced their support for coup leaders in Niger on Tuesday. With the backing of Burkina Faso, Guinea, and Mali, French officials worry citizens could be trapped in Niger or subject to violence if the coup continued. The junta is hostile to France due to its colonial history in Niger. Junta supporters publicly burned both French flags and the door to the French Embassy over the weekend.

Dig deeper: Read Lauren Dunn and Onize Ohikere’s report on how coups affect African classrooms.