The military junta in Niger gives the French ambassador 48 hours to leave the country, Niger’s foreign ministry announced. The reason given is that the ambassador “refused” to attend a meeting with the minister, as well as “other actions by France that are contrary to Niger’s interests”.
The announcement comes after a series of hostile statements and protests against France after the junta ousted pro-Western President Mohamed Bazoum in late 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 reply from France. “We continuously evaluate and monitor security and operations at the embassy,” adds the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
France has around 1,500 soldiers in the country who assisted Bazoum in the fight against jihadists.