The first British nationals to be airlifted out of Niger have safely reached Paris.
Oliver Dowden, the deputy prime minister, reported that 14 Britons were on the French flight on Wednesday.
A “very small number of British nationals” were still present, according to the Foreign Office.
Following the military coup last week, violence has erupted in the nation of west Africa.
Countries like France and Italy have booked flights for their own nationals, some of whom were also relocated from other nations.
As of yet, the UK has not organised its own flights.
The UK government had earlier recommended British citizens to keep indoors and report their locations.
Less than 100 Britons were thought to be present in Niger.
Those who had asked to leave Niger and had been able to get to the airport in time for this flight were the first to be evacuated.
The UK ambassador and a core team remain in Niger to support the extremely limited number of British nationals who are still there, according to a statement from the Foreign Office. We are appreciative to the French for helping with this evacuation.
“Our advice continues to be if you’re there and need assistance getting out, get in touch with the embassy,” said Mr. Dowden. “We still have staff on the ground and we will work to provide that assistance.”
The government has announced a temporary staff reduction at its embassy in Niamey, the capital of Niger. Additionally, the US has instructed all non-emergency employees at its embassy to depart.
German nationals in Niger, who are also believed to number less than 100, have been asked to board French-organized flights out of the country, while the Spanish government has announced that it is evacuating about 70 of its residents.
On Wednesday, while visiting three African nations, including Nigeria, Foreign Secretary James Cleverly declared: “The UK government’s priority remains the safety of British nationals and helping them get out of the country to safety.”
The French embassy has come under attack as a result of protests against France, the previous colonial power in Niger, that have been sparked by the coup.
Early on Wednesday, 262 travellers from Niger landed in Paris, while Italy also booked a flight, which brought 87 refugees to Rome.
According to the Reuters news agency, the aircraft was carrying 36 Italians, 21 Americans, and one British citizen.
The uranium-rich nation of Niger has been a crucial ally of the West in the struggle against Islamic extremism in the Sahel. There are military outposts for both France and the US.
Since Niger’s independence in 1960, President Mohamed Bazoum has been the first democratically elected head of state. Last week, his guards held him.
In the event that the president is not freed and put back in office within a week, the west African regional organisation Ecowas has threatened to deploy force.
However, military organisations in Guinea, Mali, and Burkina Faso, three nearby former French colonies, issued warnings that any forcible action would be seen as a declaration of war.
There are worries that Niger’s new government may turn away from its Western friends and towards Russia, similar to how Burkina Faso and Mali have done following their own military coups.
Three months ago, airlifts were coordinated out of Sudan as a result of conflict there between rival factions.
While the flimsy ceasefire held, a negotiated short-term ceasefire permitted UK evacuation flights to depart from an airport near Khartoum, and about 2,341 individuals were transported to safety on 28 UK flights.