Niger reopens land borders with five countries, sidelines Nigeria

Niger’s land and air borders with five neighboring countries have been reopened, almost a week after they were closed in a coup that overthrew elected president Mohamed Bazoum, one of the coup plotters announced on national television on Tuesday.

“The land and air borders with Algeria, Burkina Faso, Libya, Mali and Chad are reopened “as of today”, he declared.

A first French plane carrying 262 people – including some European nationals – landed at Paris-Roissy Charles de Gaulle airport shortly after 01:30 (23:30 GMT) on Tuesday night, an airport source told AFP.

READ ALSO: Niger military govt appoints 8 new Governors

The reopening of borders with five neighboring countries also comes just a few days before the end of the ultimatum to restore constitutional order, demanded on Sunday by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), which does not rule out the use of “force” if it is not respected.

Pressure on the military putschists is increasing internationally.

Niger’s Western and African partners have widely denounced the coup d’état, and the European Union (EU), France and Germany have suspended aid to a country economically dependent on foreign allies.

Niger, plagued by attacks by groups linked to the Islamic State and al-Qaeda in the west and southeast, is one of the world’s poorest countries, despite its uranium resources.