00:00 The military governments of Burkina Faso and Mali have warned that any military intervention
00:17 against last week's coup leaders in Niger would be considered a declaration of war against
00:22 their nations.
00:24 Niger's neighbours issued the warning in joint statements read out on their national broadcasters
00:29 just days after West African leaders threatened to use force to reinstate Niger's deposed
00:33 President Mohamed Bazoum.
00:36 Any military intervention against Niger would be tantamount to a declaration of war against
00:40 Burkina Faso and Mali.
00:42 They warned, adding that such a move could result in disastrous consequences that could
00:47 destabilise the entire region.
00:49 The Burkina Bay and Malian military authorities also said that they refused to apply the illegal,
00:54 illegitimate and inhumane sanctions against the people and authorities of Niger.
00:59 Niger is the third country in Africa's Sahel region to be shaken by a military coup in
01:04 less than three years.
01:05 It has followed Mali and Burkina Faso.
01:07 Meanwhile, France has said that it will immediately begin evacuating its citizens and other Europeans
01:13 from Niger before the situation escalates any further.
01:16 The French Foreign Ministry in Paris cited recent violence that targeted the French embassy
01:20 in Niamey, the capital, as one of the reasons for the decision.
01:25 France's decision to swiftly evacuate its citizens from Niger goes further than its
01:29 reaction to putres in recent years in neighbouring former French colonies Mali and Burkina Faso,
01:34 where French people were not evacuated after military coups.
01:39 French people have been told that the evacuation would be coordinated with Niger, that it would
01:43 be quick and that people should prepare their ID documents and a minimum of small luggage
01:48 for departure.
01:49 There are believed to be about 500 to 600 French nationals in Niger, fewer than the
01:54 usual number of about 1,000.
01:58 The Italian government has also said that it could arrange a special flight to repatriate
02:01 its nationals from Niger.
02:04 Niger's junta yesterday accused France of seeking to intervene militarily to reinstate
02:08 Bassem, which the French Foreign Ministry has denied.
02:12 The French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday had vowed immediate and uncompromising action
02:17 if French citizens or interests were attacked after thousands had rallied outside the French
02:22 embassy in Niamey.
02:31 [BLANK_AUDIO]
