FRENCH President, Emmanuel Macron, called out the Junta in Niger for seemingly holding the country’s diplomats hostage at the French Embassy in Niger.
The President, on Friday, revealed that the Junta there had blockaded food supplies to the Embassy.
While speaking to Journalists in the French town of Semur-en-Auxois, Macron disclosed that the Ambassador was feeding off “military rations.”
“As we speak, we have an ambassador and diplomatic staff who are literally being held hostage in the French embassy,” he said.
“They are preventing food deliveries,” he said, in an apparent reference to Niger’s new military rulers. “He is eating military rations,” Macron said.
Recall that, after the July 26th coup that ousted President Mohamed Bazoum, Niger’s new military leaders issued a 48hrs notice for the French ambassador, Sylvain Itte, to leave the country.
The notice expired with both the French ambassador staying put and the French government failing to recognize the legitimacy of the new Junta.
Macron explained that the French envoy “cannot go out, he is persona non grata and he is being refused food.”
The French President still stood on the fact that the only legitimate authority France recognizes in Niger is that of the ousted Bazoum.
On whether France were contemplating bring back the Ambassador, Macron said, “I will do whatever we agree with President Bazoum because he is the legitimate authority and I speak with him every day.”
Reacting, also, the French Foreign Minister, Catherine Colonna, said that France were prepared to keep the ambassador in play, still.
“He is very useful for us with his contacts and those of his team,” Colonna said to LCI television.
She noted that the Ambassador still had a team with him.
AfriqueCan understand that no less than 1,500 French soldiers are still in Niger.
The Junta in Niger have suffered rejection from the African Union (AU), the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the European Union (EU) and France, all of whom have denied the legitimacy of the new military leaders.
