Former Kaduna Senator, Shehu Sani has faulted the alleged refusal of the French ambassador to leave Niger despite the directive from the Niger junta asking the country’s ambassador to Niger to leave, News About Nigeria gathered.
Faulting the ambassador’s actions in a tweet on Monday, Mr Sani wondered why the French ambassador had refused to leave the country.
Mr Sani suggested that African ambassadors to European countries wouldn’t dare stay back after being issued an ultimatum to leave the country.
“The Niger Military Junta told the French Ambassador to leave the country and he is refusing to go. Can an African ambassador behave like that in France if he is asked to leave the country without him being escorted to the Airport?” tweet by Mr Sani read.
Despite orders from Niger’s new military commanders to leave the nation, France’s ambassador to Niger is staying, according to French President Emmanuel Macron.
Ambassador Sylvain Itte “is remaining despite pressure,” Macron said to a group of French ambassadors on Monday in Paris.
Additionally, he denied worries that challenging the Niger junta may be risky, adamantly stating, “Our policy is the right one.”
Itte received a letter from the Nigerian Foreign Ministry on Friday requesting that he leave Niger within 48 hours. After Itte declined to meet with the military officials who led the coup that overthrew President Mohamed Bazoum in July, the ultimatum was issued.
The military has imprisoned Bazoum and his family in the presidential palace.
France once colonised Niger, and there are still 1,500 French soldiers stationed there. They have aided Niger in its conflict with jihadist groups.
Thousands of Nigerien citizens demonstrated in favour of the military commanders who overthrew Bazoum on Sunday in the nation’s capital, Niamey.
