PH
The military rulers who took control of Niamey on July 26 gave the French ambassador 48 hours to leave the country, the country’s foreign minister announced in a statement Friday.
Faced with “the refusal of the French ambassador in Niamey to respond to an invitation” from the minister for a meeting Friday and “other actions of the French government contrary to the interests of Niger”, the authorities have decided to withdraw their approval of Sylvain Itte and ask him to depart within 48 hours, the statement said.
The coup leaders have not been shy about their relationship with France.
Niger has accused French forces of freeing captured “terrorists” and breaching a ban on the country’s air space in an attempt to destabilise the country.
“We are witnessing a real plan of destabilisation of our country, orchestrated by French forces,” Abdramane said.
