Niger’s junta yesterday gave French ambassador Sylvain Ite a 48-hour deadline to leave the country, citing his refusal to comply with the “invitation” addressed to him to attend an “interview” and “actions” in Paris that they are “opposed to the interests of Niger”.

As with recent coups in neighboring Burkina Faso and Mali, the military takeover in Niger came amid a rising tide of anti-French sentiment, with some accusing the former colonial power in the region of meddling in internal affairs.

France’s foreign ministry responded by stressing that the coup plotters are not authorized to make such a request and that approval for the appointment of an ambassador comes from Niger’s elected leadership, namely the ousted president, Mohamed Bazoum.

Agence France-Presse (AFP) earlier reported that Niger’s junta also demanded the ambassadors of the US, Germany and Nigeria leave the country. However, this information was not confirmed and the AFP canceled the related cables.

The US State Department has denied that a request has been made for Kathleen Fitzgibbons to leave Niger.

Reuters news agency cited a source close to the coup plotters as saying that only the French ambassador was asked to leave Niger within 48 hours.

On Thursday, the military that seized power in Niger nearly a month ago on July 26 announced that they had authorized the armed forces of two neighboring countries, Burkina Faso and Mali, to intervene on their soil “in the event of an attack”.

The two countries are also ruled by the military, following coups between 2020 and 2022. Immediately after the July coup in Niamey, they were quick to express their solidarity when the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS or CEDEAO) threatened to proceed with military intervention in Niger to restore constitutional order.