French ambassador Sylvain Itte resides off ‘navy rations’, Macron says, accusing Niger’s ruling military of stopping meals deliveries to the embassy.

President Emmanuel Macron has stated that France’s envoy to Niger resides like a hostage within the French embassy and accused navy rulers of blocking meals deliveries to the mission.

The ambassador resides off “navy rations”, Macron instructed reporters within the japanese city of Semur-en-Auxois on Friday.

“As we converse, we have now an envoy and diplomatic employees who’re actually being held hostage within the French embassy,” he stated.

“They’re stopping meals deliveries,” he stated, in an obvious reference to Niger’s new navy rulers. “He’s consuming navy rations.”

Niger’s navy leaders instructed French ambassador Sylvain Itte he needed to go away the nation after they overthrew President Mohamed Bazoum on July 26.

However a 48-hour ultimatum for him to go away, issued in August, handed with him nonetheless in place because the French authorities refused to conform, or to recognise the navy authorities as official.

The coup has been condemned by France and most of Niger’s neighbours.

Macron stated the envoy “can’t exit, he’s persona non grata and he’s being refused meals”.

Requested whether or not France would contemplate bringing him residence, Macron stated: “I’ll do no matter we agree with President Bazoum as a result of he’s the official authority and I converse with him each day.”

France retains about 1,500 troopers in Niger and stated earlier this month that any redeployment might solely be negotiated with Bazoum.

The nation’s new leaders have torn up navy cooperation agreements with France and requested the troops to go away rapidly.

Macron has for weeks rejected the decision to take away the French ambassador, a stance backed by the EU which has described the demand as “a provocation”.

Like France, stated EU international affairs spokesperson Nabila Massrali final month, the EU “doesn’t recognise” the authorities that seized energy in Niger.

The impoverished Sahel area south of the Sahara has suffered what Macron has referred to as an “epidemic” of coups lately, with navy regimes changing elected governments in Mali, Burkina Faso and Guinea in addition to Niger.

Final week, Colonel Amadou Abdramane, a spokesperson for Niger’s coup leaders, accused France of gathering forces and gear in West African international locations with a view to launching a “navy intervention” towards Niamey.

Niger can be embroiled in a standoff with the Financial Group of West African States (ECOWAS), which has threatened to intervene militarily if diplomatic strain to return Bazoum to workplace fails.