The junta in control of the country since the July 26 coup gave the French ambassador 48 hours on Friday to leave the country, the last episode of very tense relations between Paris and Niamey for a month.
He has 48 hours to leave the country. THE Niger’s military regime, which took power after a coup on July 26, decided on Friday August 25 to expel Sylvain Itté, the French ambassador to the country. A meaningful measure, the culmination of a month of declarations, decisions and demonstrations hostile to France since the overthrow of President-elect Mohamed Bazoum, who is still detained today. Franceinfo looks back on the various episodes of the growing malaise between Paris and Niamey in six acts.
1Paris condemns the coup
France “does not recognize the authorities” from the putsch and considers Mohamed Bazoum, “democratically elected”as “the only president of the Republic of Niger”, had declared, as of July 28, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Elysée ensures that France supports “all regional initiatives” aiming to “the restoration of the constitutional order” and the return of the ousted president.
2Demonstrations hostile to France
Four days after the coup d’etat, hundreds of supporters of the military who had taken power demonstrated in front of the French embassy in Niamey on July 30. The plate “Embassy of France in Niger” is torn from the facade of the building, trampled on and replaced by Russian and Nigerien flags. The demonstrators are dispersed with tear gas, but the junta accuses Paris of having used weapons, which the French government has categorically denied.
>> Coup d’etat in Niger: after ten years of fighting terrorism in the Sahel, “France is no longer welcome for part of the population”
These hostile demonstrations are taking place as theFrance is still seen as the former power that colonized Niger between 1897 and 1900. “Anyone attacking French nationals, the army, diplomats and rights of way would see France respond immediately and intractably”, reacts the Elysée in the process. According to the presidency, Emmanuel Macron “will not tolerate any attack on France and its interests.”
This first episode opens hostilities between Paris and Niamey, while France is counting on Niger to fight against jihadism in the Sahel.
3Niamey accuses Paris of wanting to intervene militarily
A few days after ousting Mohamed Bazoum from power, the Nigerien military accuses France of wanting “to intervene militarily” to restore the former president to office, according to a statement read on national television on July 31. “In its line of conduct, going in the direction of finding ways and means to intervene militarily in Niger, France, with the complicity of certain Nigeriens, held a meeting at the staff of the National Guard of Niger , to obtain the necessary political and military authorizations”, say the military.
4 Niger’s ambassador to France sacked
The putschists announced, on August 3, to put “END” to “functions” of their ambassadors from Niger in France, as well as in the United StatesNigeria and Togo. Niger’s ambassador to France, Aïchatou Boulama Kané, however, refuses to give up her post. “I consider [cette décision] as null and void, it was taken by an illegitimate power”she then commented to AFP.
Paris does not recognize the power of the junta and considers that the only legitimate authority in Niger remains in the hands of deposed President Mohamed Bazoum, democratically elected and detained in the presidential palace by the military, in conditions denounced by his entourage.
At the same time, thea junta denounces “cooperation agreements in the field of security and defence” with Paris, which has 1,500 soldiers deployed in Niger. A decision made “in the face of the casual attitude and the reaction of France”, in the words of the junta. A measure also largely ignored by Paris.
5 Emmanuel Macron defends French military interventions in the Sahel
In an interview at PointEmmanuel Macron defends, Wednesday, August 23, the French military interventions in the Sahel. “These French interventions, at the request of African states, were successful. They prevented the creation of caliphates a few thousand kilometers from our borders”adds Emmanuel Macron. “If we take a step back, France was right to commit alongside African states to fight terrorism. It is its honor and its responsibility. If we had not committed ourselves, with the Serval then Barkhane operations, there would probably be no more Mali, no more Burkina Faso, I’m not even sure there would still be Niger”insists the head of state.
He calls once again “restoration of constitutional order” in Niger and the release of President Mohamed Bazoum. “This coup is a blow against democracy in Niger, against the people of Niger and against the fight against terrorism.”
6French ambassador ordered to leave the country
After a month of tensions between Paris and Niamey, the military regime decided on Friday to expel the French ambassador to Niger, giving him 48 hours to leave. The Nigerien Ministry of Foreign Affairs assured that in the face of “to the refusal of the French ambassador in Niamey to respond to the invitation (…) for an interview” Friday “and other acts of the French government contrary to the interests of Niger”, authorities “have decided to withdraw their approval from Mr. Sylvain Itté.”
A request “perfectly predictable” according to Michel Galy, professor of geopolitics at the international school and international relations (Ileri), interviewed on franceinfo. “The putschists do not have the authority to make this request, the approval of the ambassador emanating only from the legitimate elected authorities of Niger”, retorted the Quai d’Orsay to AFP. “The ambassador is accredited to the president-elect”, abounded on Twitter Hassoumi Massoudou, Mohamed Bazoum’s head of diplomacy.
In a communicated broadcast on Saturday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Cooperation and Nigeriens Abroad still qualifies French Ambassador to Niger “persona non grata”.