Niger’s Junta Orders French Ambassador to Leave Amid Deteriorating Relations
NIAMEY, Aug 25 (Reuters) – In a further sign of deteriorating relations between Niger and its former colonial ruler, the junta that seized power in a coup on July 26 has ordered French ambassador Sylvain Itte to leave the country within 48 hours.
The military takeover in Niger, like recent coups in neighboring Burkina Faso and Mali, has been accompanied by a wave of anti-French sentiment. Locals have accused France of interfering in their affairs.
The junta-appointed foreign ministry released a statement saying the decision to expel the ambassador was in response to actions taken by the French government that were “contrary to the interests of Niger.” These actions allegedly included the envoy’s refusal to respond to an invitation to meet Niger’s new foreign minister.
The French foreign ministry has not yet responded to a request for comment on the matter.
There were also online claims on Friday that Niger had ordered the U.S. ambassador and German ambassador to leave the country in similar terms to the statement about the French envoy. However, the U.S. State Department clarified that no such request had been made to the U.S. government.
According to sources within the junta and Nigerien security, only the French ambassador has been asked to leave.
The deteriorating relationship between France and Niger raises doubts about the future of joint military efforts to combat the Islamist insurgency in the conflict-torn Sahel region. France has called for the reinstatement of President Mohamed Bazoum, who was ousted in the coup, and has expressed support for efforts by West African regional bloc ECOWAS to overturn the coup.
Furthermore, France has not officially recognized the junta’s decision in early August to revoke several military agreements with France. France argues that these agreements were signed with Niger’s “legitimate authorities.”
The strained ties between Niger and France mirror post-coup developments in Mali and Burkina Faso, where both countries expelled French forces and severed longstanding ties.
Niger holds strategic significance as one of the world’s largest producers of uranium and as a base for French, U.S., and other foreign troops involved in the fight against Islamist militant groups in the region.
Reporting by Boureima Balima; Additional reporting by Benoit Van Overstraeten and Costas Pitas; Writing by Anait Miridzhanian and Alessandra Prentice; Editing by Andy Sullivan and Rosalba O’Brien