The French ambassador to Niger departed from the capital city of Niamey early Wednesday, following weeks of strained relations between Paris and the post-coup government in this West African nation, which had demanded his expulsion.
According to a diplomatic source at the French embassy, “The ambassador, along with six colleagues, left Niamey at approximately 4:00 am (0300 GMT).” A source within the Niger interior ministry also confirmed the ambassador’s departure and mentioned that the plane was en route to Chad.
This move comes in the aftermath of a coup in Niger that took place two months earlier, resulting in the removal of its pro-Paris president and causing a deterioration in relations between France and its former colony.
During a television interview on Sunday, French President Emmanuel Macron announced the impending departure of France’s ambassador to Niger, Sylvain Itte, stating that he would leave “in the coming hours,” without providing specific details.
Niger’s military leaders, who seized power and ousted the democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum on July 26, welcomed this announcement but indicated that they were awaiting official actions to follow through. They had previously instructed Itte to leave the country after revoking his diplomatic immunity and visa. However, a 48-hour ultimatum issued in August for his departure passed without him leaving, as the French government refused to comply and did not acknowledge the military regime as legitimate. Paris insisted that only Bazoum’s deposed government had the authority to order the ambassador’s expulsion.
Sylvain Itte, born in the Malian capital Bamako in 1959, had held the position of ambassador to Niger for one year. His diplomatic career spans 35 years, during which he previously served as ambassador to Uruguay and Angola.
Furthermore, during his Sunday television interview, Macron also declared that French troops would withdraw from Niger “in the coming months and weeks,” with a complete withdrawal expected “by the end of the year,” which was another demand made by the Nigerien regime.
