"Niger Crisis Escalates: France Evacuates as Coup Leaders Gain Neighboring Junta Support"

France is planning to evacuate French and European nationals from Niger due to recent violence and the closure of Niger's airspace following a military coup. The coup has received support from neighboring juntas in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Guinea. The West African regional body ECOWAS has imposed travel and economic sanctions on Niger and threatened to use force if the coup leaders do not reinstate the democratically elected president within one week. The coup has raised concerns about potential violence and instability in the region. The United States and France have sent troops and aid to Niger in recent years, and the U.S. has stated that aid could be cut depending on the outcome of the coup.