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French citizens will no longer be permitted to fly into Niger, airline sources announced Thursday.
“According to the Nigerien authorities, any passenger of French nationality is no longer authorised to enter Nigerien territory,” stated an internal Air Burkina memo seen by AFP.
“As a result, they will not be accepted aboard our flights to the capital, Niamey,” it said.
Royal Air Maroc has likewise opted to adopt the new norm, with the exception of “special authorisations,” according to a corporate source.
Many other carriers that fly to Niamey, including Ethiopian carriers, Air Tunisie, and Turkish Airlines, did not react quickly when contacted by AFP.
Nigerien authorities declined to confirm to AFP that the French had been deemed persona non grata in the Sahel nation.
Several French nationals have already been denied admission upon arriving at Niamey airport.
Since the military coup that deposed elected President Mohamed Bazoum in July, relations between Paris and Niamey have deteriorated.
France closed its embassy in Niamey in December.
Niger’s military chiefs, dealing with rising food prices and a lack of medications due to regional sanctions, have stated that they want up to three years before returning to civilian administration.
Niger has followed the military governments of Burkina Faso and Mali in withdrawing from the West African organization ECOWAS.
