The French ambassador to Niger, according to President Emmanuel Macron, is effectively being held hostage at the French embassy, and the military authorities are allegedly preventing food from being sent to the mission.
According to Macron, the ambassador is surviving on “military rations” in the French town of Semur-en-Auxois.
He remarked, “As we speak, we literally have a hostage situation in the French embassy with our ambassador and diplomatic staff.”
He allegedly alluded to the country of Niger’s new military authorities by saying, “They are stopping food deliveries.” He is consuming meals meant for soldiers.
After ousting President Mohamed Bazoum on July 26, the military authorities in Niger informed the French ambassador Sylvain Itte that he must leave the nation.
However, after being given a 48-hour deadline to depart, in August, the French government refused to abide by it or recognise the legitimacy of the military regime, thus he remained in position.
Most of Niger’s neighbours, including France, have denounced the coup.
The envoy “cannot go outside, he is persona non grata, and he is being denied food,” stated Macron.
When asked if France would think about sending him home, Macron responded, “I will do whatever we agree with President Bazoum because he is the legitimate authority and I speak with him every day.”
Later, Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna declared that the ambassador “is working” and would remain in office for as long as Paris requested.
Colonna told LCI television that the ambassador still had a small staff with him and said, “He is very useful for us with his contacts and those of his team.”
About 1,500 French troops remain in Niger, and earlier this month, the French government stated that any redeployment could only be discussed with Bazoum.
Agreements for military cooperation with France have been revoked by the nation’s new leaders, who have also ordered the troops to depart right away.
The EU, which has defended Macron’s decision and referred to the demand to oust the French ambassador as “a provocation,” has supported Macron’s refusal to accede to the demand.
According to EU foreign affairs spokeswoman Nabila Massrali, the EU “does not recognise” the government that seized control of Niger, much like France.
In recent years, military regimes have replaced democratic governments in Mali, Burkina Faso, Guinea, and Niger in what Macron has dubbed a “epidemic” of coups in the poor Sahel area south of the Sahara.
