French ambassador, expelled from Niger, arrives in Paris
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The French Foreign Ministry says Catherine Colonna met with Ambassador Sylvain Itte "to thank him and his teams for his work in the service of our country under difficult conditions."
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French President Emmanuel Macron addresses French ambassadors during the conference of ambassadors at the Elysee Palace in Paris, on August 28, 2023. (AFP)
The foreign ministry of France confirmed to AFP that the ambassador to Niger, Sylvain Itte, landed in Paris on Wednesday after leaving Niger weeks after tensions between Paris and the new military leader in Niamey.
This comes amid deteriorating relations deepen between France and its former colony, Niger, with the latter's new rulers demanding full departure.
In its written statement to AFP, the French Ministry said Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna met with Itte "to thank him and his teams for his work in the service of our country under difficult conditions."
Itte left for Chad first from where he headed to France after the Agency for the Safety of Air Navigation in Africa and Madagascar (ASECNA) website underscored that Niger's military authorities have prohibited French aircraft from flying through the country's airspace.
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Prior to that, an announcement revealed on September 23 that Niger's airspace was "open to all national and international commercial flights except for French aircraft or aircraft chartered by France, including those of the airline Air France." The airspace will stay blocked to "all military, operational, and other special flights" until prior authorization is obtained, according to the notice.
On Sunday, French President Emmanuel Macron declared during a TV interview that Itte would leave "in the next hours" but provided no extra details. On Wednesday, Macron reiterated his support for ousted president Mohamed Bazoum.
Macron's office stated that Hassoumi Massaoudou, the foreign minister in the overthrown government, was informed of France's decision to work "for a return to the constitutional order in Niger."
Before his departure, Niger's military leaders took away the envoy's diplomatic immunity and visa after having given him a 48-hour ultimatum in August.
The French government refused to both comply with the order and recognize the military regime as legitimate, saying that only Bazoum's government could order him out.
