France’s top diplomatic envoy to Niger, Ambassador Sylvain Itté, is one of those who are kept locked up in the embassy complex. – They don’t get food in, and survive on field rations, says Emmanuel Macron at a press meeting in Burgundy. The French embassy is located in Niger’s capital, Niamey. Photo: AFP On 31 August, the French ambassador received an ultimatum to leave the country. The military junta claimed that the ambassador no longer had diplomatic immunity, and asked the police to throw him out of the country. From Paris came the clear message that the coup masters did not have the power to expel Ambassador Itté. On Friday, he and other outgoing French service personnel are said to have been captured. Bloody coup The former French colony has had anything but a peaceful summer. The democratically elected president Mohamed Bazoum was deposed on 26 July, and power now rests with military officers. Demonstrations have been held outside Niger’s embassy in Paris in support of deposed President Bazoum. Photo: Sophie Garcia / AP It was the fourth coup since Niger became an independent country in 1960, after more than three decades as a colony. French authorities have refused to recognize the military junta in Niger, which landed its leaders. The coup plotters demanded in August that the French ambassador had to leave the country – a demand Macron has refused to comply with. Military intervention After the coup, the West African organization Ecowas announced that they would depose the coup plotters in Niger by military force. The plan received support from the African Union, a cooperative organization with 55 member countries. The military junta has accused the former colonial power of preparing for a military attack. – France continues to deploy its forces in several Ecowas countries as part of the preparations for an intervention, the regime’s spokesperson Amadou Abdramane explained on national television on Saturday. France has around 1,500 soldiers stationed in Niger. They participate in military operations against further Islamist rebels in West Africa. The country also has significant economic interests in Niger, and imports large quantities of uranium from there. Free Frenchman On Thursday, another man who was held as a prisoner was released. Stephane Jullien is an adviser to the French in the country, and was arrested on September 8, CNN writes. French authorities asked for his immediate release. Nevertheless, he was arrested for a short week before being released on Thursday. The latest coup has been condemned by the world, including the UN’s human rights chief Volker Türk. – There must be an immediate return to civilian governance and spaces opened up where people can participate, influence and criticize the government’s actions and lack of actions, Türk said.
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France’s ambassador is held hostage in Niger – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries
