France’s foreign minister has repeated her country’s resolve to keeping troops in Niger and the French ambassador in place.
More than a week ago, Niamey’s military leadership demanded the envoy’s expulsion.
According to Catherine Colonna, the French ambassador to Niger’s “legitimate authorities” – the overthrown administration of President Mohamed Bazoum – is Sylvain Itte.
Ms Colonna was speaking as tens of thousands of protesters marched through the streets of Niamey for the third day in a row near a French military base.
They demanded that the former colonial power withdraw its troops once more.
France has approximately 1,500 soldiers stationed in Niger to assist in the suppression of an Islamist insurgency in the Sahel region.
