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France Evacuates Citizens from Niger after Neighbors Warn of War

Pro-junta demonstrators gathered outside the French embassy, try to set it on fire before being dispersed by Nigerian security forces in Niamey, the capital city of Niger July 30, 2023. (Reuters)
Pro-junta demonstrators gathered outside the French embassy, try to set it on fire before being dispersed by Nigerian security forces in Niamey, the capital city of Niger July 30, 2023. (Reuters)
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France Evacuates Citizens from Niger after Neighbors Warn of War

Pro-junta demonstrators gathered outside the French embassy, try to set it on fire before being dispersed by Nigerian security forces in Niamey, the capital city of Niger July 30, 2023. (Reuters)
Pro-junta demonstrators gathered outside the French embassy, try to set it on fire before being dispersed by Nigerian security forces in Niamey, the capital city of Niger July 30, 2023. (Reuters)

France prepared to evacuate hundreds of French and European citizens from Niger on Tuesday, a day after neighbors Mali and Burkina Faso said any outside intervention to restore the ousted government would be seen as a declaration of war.

A military junta overthrew Niger's democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum and his government last Wednesday in the seventh military takeover in less than three years in West and Central Africa.

West African regional bloc ECOWAS last Sunday threatened to use force to reinstate Bazoum if the soldiers didn't do it within a week, while neighboring Mali and Burkina Faso - also ruled by military juntas - said they would come to Niger's defense.

With the risk of conflict escalating, Spain said it was preparing to evacuate more than 70 citizens by air and Italy said it would organize a repatriation flight. Germany urged its citizens to join the French flights.

The coup has sent shockwaves across the Sahel region, which is fighting an extremist militant insurgency and where Niger had been considered the West's most stable ally until now.

The recent coups in the region have come amid a wave of anti-French sentiment, with locals saying they want the former colonial ruler to stop intervening in their affairs and calling for partnerships with Russia instead.

Niger's new military leaders have proceeded to arrest senior politicians and warned against any foreign attempts to extract Bazoum, who is still shut in his palace.

"Considering the ongoing coup in Niger and the fact that the situation continues to be worrying, we decided to make sure that the French citizens who want to leave Niger can do so," French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna told France's LCI TV.

She estimated that hundreds of French citizens and hundreds of other EU citizens wanted to be evacuated on flights she hoped would be completed over 24 hours.

Flightradar showed a plane registered to the French armed forces had landed at the airport of the capital Niamey at 1207 GMT and was due to depart around 1510 GMT.

France, the United States, Germany, and Italy have troops in Niger on counter-insurgency and training missions. There has been no announcement of troops being evacuated so far.

Colonna said France had talked with "those who are in control" in Niger to make sure the evacuation could proceed safely, which was in no way a recognition of the junta.

'Declaration of war'

West African bloc ECOWAS has taken its hardest line yet on Niger, after struggling to persuade the military rulers of member states Mali, Burkina Faso and Guinea to restore democracy.

A declaration by Mali and Burkina Faso on Monday night was the strongest indication yet of a new alliance forming, in opposition to the rest of the 15-member-state regional bloc.

"Mali and Burkina Faso warn that any military intervention in Niger will be considered as a declaration of war against Burkina Faso and Mali," said a joint statement read on both countries' national broadcasters.

They said that they would withdraw from ECOWAS and adopt "measures of legitimate defense" to support Niger's army and people if ECOWAS intervened. Guinea's military leaders also expressed solidarity with Niger.

Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of Russia's Wagner mercenary group, last week welcomed the coup in Niger, and said his forces were available to restore order.

The Kremlin said the situation in Niger was "cause for serious concern" and called for a swift return to constitutional order.

Niger is the world's seventh-biggest producer of uranium, the radioactive metal widely used for nuclear energy and treating cancer.

A spokesperson for the EU Commission said EU utilities had sufficient inventories of natural uranium to mitigate any short-term supply risks.

French nuclear fuels company Orano said its activities were continuing in Niger and would not be affected by the evacuations, as 99% of staff were Nigerien nationals.

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World

Iran War as a New Catalyst...China Secretly Enters Nuclear Arms Race

China asserts that it follows a defensive strategy and is committed to the no-first-use of nuclear weapons (file-Reuters).
China asserts that it follows a defensive strategy and is committed to the no-first-use of nuclear weapons (file-Reuters).
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Iran War as a New Catalyst...China Secretly Enters Nuclear Arms Race

China asserts that it follows a defensive strategy and is committed to the no-first-use of nuclear weapons (file-Reuters).
China asserts that it follows a defensive strategy and is committed to the no-first-use of nuclear weapons (file-Reuters).

When three villagers from China’s Sichuan Province wrote to local officials in 2022 questioning why the government was confiscating their land and evicting them from their homes, they received a brief response: "It is a state secret."

An investigation by CNN revealed that this secret centers on China's plans to significantly expand its nuclear capabilities. More than three years after the citizen evacuations, satellite imagery shows their village has been leveled, replaced by new buildings designed to support some of China’s most critical nuclear weapons production facilities.

CNN reported that the expansion of these sites in Sichuan, observed through satellite imagery and a review of dozens of Chinese government documents, confirms recent allegations by President Donald Trump’s administration that Beijing is conducting its largest nuclear modernization campaign in decades.

President Trump is scheduled to visit Beijing on a historic trip next month, where he is expected to seek a dialogue on an agreement to curb Chinese President Xi Jinping’s nuclear ambitions.

Most Significant New Facilities in Sichuan Province

Among the most prominent of these facilities is a massive, fortified dome built on the banks of the Tongjiang River in less than five years. It appears to still be undergoing outfitting, suggesting it may not yet be operational.

The reinforced dome covers an area of 3,344 square meters (equivalent to 13 tennis courts). It is encased in a concrete and steel structure equipped with radiation monitoring devices and blast-proof doors, with a network of pipes extending from the facility to a building featuring a high ventilation chimney.

According to several experts, these features, along with advanced air-handling equipment, are designed to contain highly radioactive materials, such as uranium and plutonium, within the dome, indicating an expansion of the Chinese nuclear program's production capacity. The facility is also surrounded by three layers of security fencing.

No Sign of Retreat

This development comes at a time of rising international tensions, particularly following the expiration of the latest nuclear arms limitation treaty between the United States and Russia (known as "New START") earlier this year. Trump is seeking to broker a new and improved agreement with Moscow that would also include China.

However, the radical changes witnessed in Sichuan indicate that the Chinese military's nuclear weapons development shows no sign of slowing down, according to the CNN report.

In contrast, China denies the accusations; military spokesperson Jiang Bin emphasized that his country "follows a defensive strategy and is committed to no-first-use of nuclear weapons."

However, experts believe the significant changes on the ground reflect a fundamental shift in the nuclear program. Analyst Decker Eveleth said that this extensive modernization suggests a fundamental restructuring of the technology underpinning the entire system.

Renny Babiarz, Vice President of Analysis and Operations at AllSource Analysis, who reviewed the satellite imagery for CNN, also pointed to the potential development of "new processes and different types of equipment" within these facilities. He said it was clear that there are many changes happening on the ground."

This expansion coincides with directives issued by the Chinese President to accelerate the building of strategic deterrence capabilities amid escalating regional tensions, particularly regarding Taiwan.

Observers believe these moves could lead to a new nuclear arms race more complex than the Cold War era, with China emerging as a major third party. There are also concerns that the United States might overestimate China's capabilities, thereby exacerbating nuclear proliferation.

Jeffrey Lewis, a distinguished scholar in global security at the Middlebury Institute, said some in the US will argue that we need to radically expand our nuclear weapons production capacity to match China..."but we won't be matching what they are doing; we will be matching what we think they are doing. We will be matching our own nightmare. And that is extremely dangerous."

Impact of the Iran War on China’s Nuclear Program

Experts say that the ongoing US-Israeli war on Iran may have strengthened China's resolve to expand its nuclear program.

"If you were Chinese and looked at what is happening, you wouldn't see that disarmament or weakening yourself makes any sense," Lewis said. He added: "One outcome of what the Trump administration is doing in Iran will not be to intimidate or subdue China, but rather to push it to build more nuclear weapons."

Lewis noted that, given these factors, the chances of reaching arms control agreements appear limited, pointing out that China may engage in "formal" dialogues to de-escalate tensions without offering substantial concessions.

World

India Says Defense Exports Hit 'All-time High' of $4 bn

India said it exported more than $4 billion of defense equipment including missiles, boats and artillery. Dibyangshu SARKAR / AFP
India said it exported more than $4 billion of defense equipment including missiles, boats and artillery. Dibyangshu SARKAR / AFP
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India Says Defense Exports Hit 'All-time High' of $4 bn

India said it exported more than $4 billion of defense equipment including missiles, boats and artillery. Dibyangshu SARKAR / AFP
India said it exported more than $4 billion of defense equipment including missiles, boats and artillery. Dibyangshu SARKAR / AFP

India's defense exports "skyrocketed" to an all-time high of more than $4 billion in the last fiscal year, as it looks to boost its arms manufacturing sector, the government said Thursday.

The figures mark a rise of more than 60 percent from 2024, the defense ministry said, and provide a shot in the arm for the South Asian country, which is determined to recast itself as a major producer and exporter of weapons, AFP said.

"India is marching ahead towards becoming a global defense manufacturing hub," the ministry quoted Defense Minister Rajnath Singh as saying.

"This big jump... in defense exports reflects the growing global trust in India's indigenous capabilities and advanced manufacturing strength," Singh said, adding that it had hit an "all-time high" in the fiscal year 2025-26 of 38,424 billion rupees ($4.15 billion).

Government defense companies produced nearly 55 percent of the exports, with the rest made by private companies.

"This milestone showcases the power of a collaborative and self-reliant defense ecosystem," Singh said.

India exports defense equipment to more than 100 countries, with the United States, France and Armenia among the top customers, according to the defense ministry.

Shipments range from missiles, boats and artillery to radar systems, rocket launchers and electronic components.

However, the country is still primarily a buyer, not a seller, and remains globally a minor player in exports.

New Delhi earlier this year announced a record $85 billion boost for its defense sector.

But India's arms purchases still make up around eight percent of all imports globally, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.

 

World

Russia Repels Drone Attack on Gas Pipeline to Türkiye, Says Gazprom

File photo: Pipes at the landfall facilities of the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline are pictured in Lubmin, Germany, March 8, 2022. (Reuters)
File photo: Pipes at the landfall facilities of the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline are pictured in Lubmin, Germany, March 8, 2022. (Reuters)
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Russia Repels Drone Attack on Gas Pipeline to Türkiye, Says Gazprom

File photo: Pipes at the landfall facilities of the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline are pictured in Lubmin, Germany, March 8, 2022. (Reuters)
File photo: Pipes at the landfall facilities of the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline are pictured in Lubmin, Germany, March 8, 2022. (Reuters)

Russian forces repelled a drone attack early Thursday on part of the TurkStream gas pipeline connecting Russia and Türkiye, the pipeline's operator Gazprom said in a statement.

"The Russkaya compressor station, which ensures the reliable export of gas via the TurkStream pipeline, came under attack from three aircraft-type unmanned aerial vehicles," Gazprom said. "The attack was repelled and no damage was caused to the Gazprom facility."

The Russkaya compressor station is the starting point of the TurkStream pipeline. Russia has accused Ukraine of targeting it multiple times.