French President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday that the country’s ambassador to Niger would remain in the country despite pressure from the leaders of the recent coup.
Mr Macron also reiterated France’s support for Niger’s ousted president, Mohamed Bazoum, who has refused to resign.
“I believe our policy is the right one,” Mr Macron said in a speech to diplomats. “It is based on the courage of President Bazoum and on the commitment of our ambassador on the ground, who is staying despite all the pressure.”
The Nigerien junta, which seized power on July 26, ordered French Ambassador Sylvain Itte to leave the country within 48 hours. Mr Macron dismissed calls from some in the United States and Europe for Western powers to give up on Mr Bazoum.
“We do not recognize those who carried out the coup,” Mr Macron said. “We support a president who has not stepped down, and we remain engaged with him.”
Ecowas threats
The main West African bloc, ECOWAS, has been trying to negotiate with the leaders of the Niger coup. The bloc has said it is ready to deploy troops to restore constitutional order if diplomatic efforts fail.
The juntas in Niger, Burkina Faso, and Mali have formed a military alliance to defend each other.
The agreement, which was announced in Niamey, Niger’s capital, on Friday, allows Mali and Burkina Faso to provide military assistance to Niger in the event of a military intervention against the putschists there. A similar agreement already exists between Burkina Faso and Mali.
The July coup in Niger was the third in the Sahel region in the past two years.
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