Military rebels who took control of Niamey on July 26 have given the French ambassador 48 hours to leave Niger, the country’s foreign minister said in a statement on Friday, AFP reported.
Faced with “the refusal of the French ambassador in Niamey to respond to the minister’s invitation for a meeting on Friday and “other actions by the French government contrary to Niger’s interests”, the authorities decided to withdraw their approval for Sylvain Itte and ask him to leave within 48 hours, the statement said.
The decision follows a series of anti-French statements and demonstrations since Niger’s army ousted President Mohamed Bazoum, who has since been detained along with his family.
Military leaders accuse Paris of wanting to intervene militarily in Niger to restore Bazum to power, and say the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is an organization acting in the service of former regional colonial power France.
After the coup, ECOWAS imposed heavy economic sanctions on Niger and threatened to use armed force to restore constitutional order.
France has about 1,500 troops in Niger to help fight jihadist groups that have plagued the country and the wider Sahel region for years.
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2023-08-25 19:20:00
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