President Macron accused Niger’s military rulers of keeping France’s envoy hostage in the French embassy and obstructing food deliveries, while the French ambassador continues to fulfill his duties.
President Emmanuel Macron said on Friday that France’s envoy to Niger is living like a hostage in the French embassy, and accused military rulers of blocking food deliveries to the mission.The ambassador is living off “military rations,” Macron told reporters in the French town of Semur-en-Auxois.”They are preventing food deliveries,” he said, in an apparent reference to Niger’s new military rulers. “He is eating military rations.”Niger’s military leaders told French ambassador Sylvain Itte he had to leave the country after they overthrew President Mohamed Bazoum on July 26.But a 48-hour ultimatum for him to leave, issued in August, passed with him still in place as the French government refused to comply, or to recognize the military regime as legitimate.

Asked whether France would consider bringing him home, Macron said: “I will do whatever we agree with President Bazoum because he is the legitimate authority and I speak with him every day.”

Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna later said the ambassador “is working” and would stay at his post for as long as Paris wished.

Macron has for weeks rejected the call to remove the French ambassador, a stance backed by the EU which has described the demand as “a provocation”.

Katrine Dige Houmøller, with AFP