The French ambassador and other diplomats at that country’s embassy in Niger are “being held hostage,” according to President Emmanuel Macron. A coup upended the African nation this summer, and the hopes of the West that the democratically-elected government would return to power have dwindled.
Per CNN:
Speaking to journalists during a visit to the Côte D’Or region in France on Friday, Macron said that “food was prevented from being delivered” to the embassy in Niamey, and that the ambassador was “eating military rations.”
The ambassador, Sylvain Itte, “cannot go out, he is persona non grata and he is being refused food,” Macron also said.
After seizing control of the West African country in July, the military junta ordered Itte to leave the country. It later revoked his visa and instructed police to expel him.
But the diplomat remained in place, according to the French presidency, with French authorities reiterating that they do not recognize the authority of the junta.
Regional conflict remains a distinct possibility after the junta defied a deadline from the 15-member Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to cede power.
The Pentagon is keeping a small contingent of U.S. troops in the country even as coup leaders dig in.
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How bad would you have to screw up to be named ambassador to Miger?
How much is SloJoe gonna pay to get this guy released?
Ok France send in the Foreign Legion for Rescue
Looks like the events of 1960’s in the Congo and surrounding areas are still going on. The UN was a screw up then in dealing with that uprising, and the UN Ambassador’s plane was shot down to boot, and they are a screw up now in Niger. What exactly is the UN worth? What has it ever been worth? One thing seems for sure, it takes a Western European country to run states in Africa, as the ones that colonized and brought law and order to those regions, upon their departure, those states have turned to crap.
Didn’t they ask the french to leave a couple weeks ago? This may be the consequence of ignoring the request.