Faith Nyasuguta
The junta that seized power in Niger has directed the head of the United Nations diplomatic mission there to leave the country within 72 hours, according to a statement from the West African nation’s foreign ministry seen by Reuters on Wednesday.
The statement, dated Oct. 10, accused the U.N. of using “underhanded maneuvers” instigated by France to prevent the full participation of Niger in the U.N. General Assembly last month and other international meetings.
The junta, which overthrew Niger’s democratically president in July, has also kicked out French troops and the French ambassador.
France’s ambassador to Niger arrived in late September, around a month after the military junta ordered his expulsion and days after President Emmanuel Macron said the diplomat would be pulled out and French troops withdrawn.
Relations between Niger and France, its former colonial ruler which maintained a military presence in the country to help fight Islamist insurgents, have broken down since army officers seized power in Niamey in July.
The junta had ordered French ambassador Sylvain Itte to leave the country within 48 hours at the end of August in response to what they described as actions by France that were “contrary to the interests of Niger”.
France at first ignored the order, sticking to its stance that the military government was illegitimate and calling for the reinstatement of elected President Mohamed Bazoum, who was toppled in the coup.
But in an about turn, Macron later announced that the ambassador would return to Paris and French troops would leave.
Two security sources in Niger said Itte had flown out of the country. The president’s office in Paris later confirmed Itte took off to Paris from the Chadian capital N’Djamena.
According to the Quai d’Orsay, he was received on his return by French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna.
Niger is just one of France’s former colonies in West Africa where there has been growing anti-French sentiment both among the population and the authorities, especially in countries where military rulers have seized power.
Mali, Burkina Faso, Chad and Niger are now all run by army officers following a spate of coups over the past three years, and anti-French rhetoric has been a recurring feature of their public pronouncements.
Critics of France say that for decades after its former colonies gained independence, it sought to maintain strong economic and political influence through a system of overt and covert diplomacy known as ‘Francafrique’.
The French government says the days of Francafrique are over and operations like the one in Niger were being conducted with the full consent, knowledge and cooperation of local governments, such as Bazoum’s now defunct administration.
While France’s critics accuse Paris of continuing to exert excessive and disruptive influence in the region, some analysts say military juntas are using France as a scapegoat for hard-to-solve problems.
The juntas in Mali and Burkina Faso have already kicked out French forces deployed to help fight a decade-long Islamist insurgency that has killed thousands and displaced millions across the Sahel region.
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