French President Emmanuel Macron affirmed on Monday that Sylvain Itte, France’s ambassador to Niger, is currently present in the coup-affected Sahel nation, despite a directive issued by the military junta instructing him to depart from his post.
During an address to French ambassadors gathered in the capital, Paris, Macron verified that Ambassador Itte was participating from Niamey, Niger’s capital city, even after being given a 48-hour ultimatum to leave the West African country last Friday.
The junta’s order for Ambassador Itte’s departure was conveyed by Niger’s foreign ministry, which alleged that he had declined to engage with the new governing authorities and cited actions taken by Macron’s administration that were deemed “contrary to the interests of Niger.”