In a significant development, Niger’s military rulers have issued a ban on French aircraft from accessing the country’s airspace.
This decision was announced by the air safety agency, ASECNA, which clarified that Niger’s skies remain open to all commercial flights, except those affiliated with or chartered by France.
It’s worth noting that France, as the former colonial power, maintains a presence of approximately 1,500 troops within Niger.
Niger had recently reopened its airspace earlier this month, following a closure that lasted nearly four weeks.
The initial closure was attributed to concerns about potential intervention by neighboring countries.
This move came in response to the regional bloc, ECOWAS, which had threatened military action following a military coup in July.