On Friday, August 25, the soldiers behind the coup d'état in Niger demanded the departure of the French ambassador to the country, which Paris is refusing to do at this stage. The decision taken by the ruling junta in Niamey follows a series of demonstrations, declarations and decisions hostile to France since the July 26 putsch.

Almost a month after the overthrow of President Mohamed Bazoum, the military ordered Sylvain Itté to "leave Niger territory within 48 hours" and announced their decision to "withdraw [his] accreditation." In a letter from the Nigerien Foreign Ministry sent to its French counterpart, the coup leaders justified this request by referring to "the ambassador's refusal to respond to the ministry's invitation" for an interview and to "other actions by the French government, contrary to Niger's interests."

Immediately after the announcement, French authorities rejected the request: "The putschists have no authority to make this demand, as the ambassador's accreditation emanates from the legitimately elected authorities of Niger alone," said the French Foreign Ministry. This position is shared by Hassoumi Massoudou, Bazoum's head of diplomacy, who on X (formerly Twitter) pointed out that "the ambassador is accredited to the elected president."

This is not the first diplomatic standoff between the de facto Nigerien government and France, which continues to demand the withdrawal of the coup plotters, arguing that President Bazoum – detained with his family – has not resigned since the takeover. On Wednesday, French President Emmanuel Macron once again called for the "restoration of constitutional order" in Niger and for Bazoum's release. "This coup d'état is a blow against democracy in Niger, against the people of Niger and against the fight against terrorism," he declared. No doubt Macron will repeat this line at the annual conference of French ambassadors in Paris, where he is due to speak on August 28.

The junta suspects France of wanting to intervene militarily in Niger to allow the return of the elected president. It considers the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to be an organization "in the pay" of France, the former colonial power in the region. ECOWAS imposed heavy economic and financial sanctions on Niger after the coup and is threatening the junta, with France's open support, to use armed force to restore constitutional order.

Four days after the coup, hundreds of supporters of the newly installed military power demonstrated outside the French embassy in Niamey, causing damage. The demonstrators were dispersed with tear gas by the embassy's security services. The regime accused Paris of having used weapons, which the French government denied.

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