Two French flights evacuating Europeans from the strife-torn north African nation Niger have touched down in Paris. Niger’s democratically elected president Mohamed Bazoum was ousted in a military coup last week, and there’s been rising anti-French sentiment in the capital Niamey, including attacks on its embassy. Niger was a French colony until 1960, and it’s currently following the path of neighbours Mali and Burkina Faso in turning away from the West – and towards Russia. The European Union and France have cut off all funding to Niger – but the US thinks there’s a “narrow opportunity” to reverse the military takeover, so it hasn’t suspended aid payments yet. The latest instability in Africa comes after a brutal internal conflict erupted in nearby Sudan, displacing millions earlier this year.