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French ambassador Sylvain Itte resides off ‘army rations’, Macron says, accusing Niger’s ruling military of stopping meals deliveries to the embassy.
President Emmanuel Macron has stated that France’s envoy to Niger resides like a hostage within the French embassy and accused army rulers of blocking meals deliveries to the mission.
The ambassador resides off “army rations”, Macron advised reporters within the jap city of Semur-en-Auxois on Friday.
“As we converse, we’ve an envoy and diplomatic employees who’re actually being held hostage within the French embassy,” he stated.
“They’re stopping meals deliveries,” he stated, in an obvious reference to Niger’s new army rulers. “He’s consuming army rations.”
Niger’s army leaders advised French ambassador Sylvain Itte he needed to go away the nation after they overthrew President Mohamed Bazoum on July 26.
However a 48-hour ultimatum for him to depart, issued in August, handed with him nonetheless in place because the French authorities refused to comply, or to recognise the army authorities as respectable.
The coup has been condemned by France and most of Niger’s neighbours.
Macron stated the envoy “can’t exit, he’s persona non grata and he’s being refused meals”.
Requested whether or not France would think about bringing him residence, Macron stated: “I’ll do no matter we agree with President Bazoum as a result of he’s the respectable authority and I converse with him daily.”
France retains about 1,500 troopers in Niger and stated earlier this month that any redeployment might solely be negotiated with Bazoum.
The nation’s new leaders have torn up army cooperation agreements with France and requested the troops to depart rapidly.
Macron has for weeks rejected the decision to take away the French ambassador, a stance backed by the EU which has described the demand as “a provocation”.
Like France, stated EU international affairs spokesperson Nabila Massrali final month, the EU “doesn’t recognise” the authorities that seized energy in Niger.
The impoverished Sahel area south of the Sahara has suffered what Macron has referred to as an “epidemic” of coups lately, with army regimes changing elected governments in Mali, Burkina Faso and Guinea in addition to Niger.
Final week, Colonel Amadou Abdramane, a spokesperson for Niger’s coup leaders, accused France of gathering forces and gear in West African international locations with a view to launching a “army intervention” in opposition to Niamey.
Niger can also be embroiled in a standoff with the Financial Group of West African States (ECOWAS), which has threatened to intervene militarily if diplomatic strain to return Bazoum to workplace fails.
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