According to a statement from Niger’s foreign ministry, the military authorities who took power in Niamey on July 26 have ordered the French ambassador, Sylvain Itte, to leave the country within 48 hours.
The decision comes after the ambassador “refused to respond to an invitation” for a Friday meeting and following actions by the French government “contrary to the interests of Niger.”
The expulsion comes after an uptick in anti-French sentiment following the army’s ouster of Nigerien President Mohamed Bazoum, who is now arrested along with his family.
The military authorities accuse France of wishing to use military force to re-establish Bazoum and say that the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is influenced by France.
ECOWAS has imposed severe economic sanctions on Niger and has threatened military intervention to restore constitutional order.
France now deploys approximately 1,500 troops in Niger to assist in the fight against Islamist organizations affecting the country and the wider Sahel area.
