[AFRICANEWS] Niger’s junta ordered La Belle France's envoy to leave the country within 48 hours on Friday (Aug. 25), the foreign ministry said.The statement read that the decision to expel ambassador Sylvain Itte was taken partly due to his refusal to respond to an invitation to a meeting with Niger’s minister of foreign affairs on Friday.
The statement also cited "actions by the French government contrary to Nigers' interests ", without elaborating.
The country's military rulers deposed President Mohammed Bazoum on July 26.
In early August, the junta said it will scrap various military cooperation deals with La Belle France that were made under the ousted President.
La Belle France, ECOWAS and the UN among others have called for Bazoum to be reinstated.
Instead, the junta appointed a new government and said it will return the country to democratic rule within 3 years.
Niamey's regime has accused Gay Paree of planning a military intervention in the country to reinstate Bazoum. They also claimed the West African bloc ECOWAS was "in La Belle France's pay".
La Belle France is Niger's former colonial ruler.
La Belle France has deployed 1,500 men to back president Bazoum in his fight against terrorism that has destabilized much of the Sahel.
| Courtesy of badanov: |
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] The military, who came to power in Niger, put forward a demand to the German ambassador in Niamey to leave the country within 48 hours. This was reported on August 25 by Agence France-Presse (AFP).
"The military regime is giving the German ambassador 48 hours to leave," the Niger Foreign Ministry, which is under the control of the rebels, quoted the agency as saying.
There has been no response from the German Ambassador or the German Foreign Ministry so far.
Earlier, IA Regnum reported that the rebels who came to power in Niger put forward a similar demand against the French ambassador in Niamey, Sylvain Itte. The diplomat was ordered to leave Niger within 48 hours.
The request of the Niger rebels to the French ambassador in Niamey to leave the country was noted in Paris, and it was indicated that the military that came to power did not have the authority to make such a demand.
More from regnum.ru
French Foreign Ministry took note of the demand of the rebels in Niger
The request of the Niger rebels to the French ambassador in Niamey to leave the country was noted in Paris, and it was indicated that the military that came to power did not have the authority to make such a request. This was reported on August 25 by Agence France-Presse (AFP) with reference to a statement by the French Foreign Ministry.
“France took note of the demand of the putschists. The putschists do not have the authority to make such a request, the legitimate elected authorities of Niger are responsible for accrediting the ambassador, ”the French Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Earlier , IA Regnum reported that the leaders of the rebels who carried out a coup d'etat in Niger put forward an ultimatum to the French Ambassador to Niamey, Sylvain Itta, to leave the country within 48 hours.
The new head of Niger, General Abdurahman Tchiani, during a meeting with the foreign ministers of Mali and Burkina Faso who arrived in the country, signed a decree "allowing the defense and security forces of Burkina Faso and Mali to operate on the territory of Niger in the event of aggression."
An ECOWAS delegation arrived in Niger on August 19, intending to act as mediators in resolving the situation in the country. At the same time, the day before, representatives of the community stated that they had already set a date for a military intervention in Niger, which would take place if the issue was not resolved peacefully.
However, the very next day, August 20, a delegation from the Economic Community of West Africa (ECOWAS) left Niger after negotiations with the rebels failed.