The reason for sending the ambassadors out is that they refused to appear at a meeting at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Friday, as well as “other actions” from the respective countries “that are contrary to the interests of Niger”.
This is evident from letters sent by Niger’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the governments of the four countries.
The announcements come after a series of hostile statements and protests against France after the junta ousted pro-Western President Mohamed Bazoum at the end of July.
The military junta accuses France of planning a military intervention to reinstate Bazoum, something France has denied.
“The coup plotters in Niger do not have the authority” to expel the ambassador, reads the response from France. “We continuously evaluate and monitor security and operations at the embassy,” the French foreign ministry added.
France has around 1,500 soldiers in the country who assisted Bazoum in the fight against jihadists.