The military that took power in Niger in July gave the ambassadors of Germany, the US, France and Nigeria 48 hours to leave the country, according to the letter sent by the State Department to each of the diplomats, whose AFP has received a copy. had access.
Each letter noted that the military junta’s decision was in response to the ambassadors’ refusal to respond to an invitation from the ministry to a meeting on Friday and to other actions by their respective governments “in violation of the interests of Niger’.
Recall that on July 26, a military junta overthrew Niger’s president, Mohamed Bazoum, becoming the fourth West African country to be targeted for a coup since 2020.
Paris says “the coup plotters have no authority” to demand the departure of its ambassador
France has already said it rejected a request from the military junta that seized power in Niger for the French ambassador to leave the African country, arguing that “the leaders of the coup do not have the authority to to make that decision.
“France has taken note of the request of the coup plotters. The coup plotters have no authority to make this request, the ambassador’s approval comes only from the legitimately elected authorities of Niger,” the foreign ministry underlined. quoted by AFP.
The military junta had previously announced that it was giving Sylvain Itté 48 hours to leave Niger territory, arguing that he had refused “to respond to the invitation (…) to a meeting”.
The coup plotters also highlighted “other actions by the French government that are contrary to Niger’s interests”.
The decision follows a series of statements and demonstrations hostile to France since Niger’s army overthrew President-elect Mohamed Bazoum, who has since been held in detention along with part of his family.
Since the coup, Paris believes that the only legitimate authority in Niger remains that of the democratically elected president.
France has deployed 1,500 soldiers to the region to help President Bazoum’s regime fight the “jihadist” groups that have devastated Niger and much of the Sahel for years.
The coup in Niger was led on July 26 by the self-proclaimed National Council for the Protection of the Homeland (CNSP), which announced the impeachment of the president and the suspension of the constitution.
A regional military intervention against the junta has been on the table since July 30, announced at the time by the Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), who, however, declared their commitment to dialogue to resolve the crisis .
So far, the military junta in Niamey has not only ignored the threats, but also appointed a new prime minister and formed a caretaker government, warning that the use of force will be the subject of an immediate and strong response.
However, an eventual military action divided the region. Similarly, the African Union (AU) spoke out against the possibility of military intervention, but suspended Niger from being a member of the organization until constitutional order was effectively restored.
News updated at 00:12
Source: DN
