Niger's military regime on Friday gave the French ambassador 48 hours to leave the West African country, Niger's Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced in a statement.
Faced by "the refusal of the French ambassador in Niamey to respond to the ministry's invitation" for an interview on Friday "and other actions by the French government contrary to the interests of Niger," the authorities "have decided to withdraw their approval from Mr. Sylvain Itte and ask him to leave Niger territory within forty-eight hours," the statement read.
This decision follows a series of hostile statements and demonstrations against France since Niger's army overthrew elected president Mohamed Bazoum on 26 July. Since the coup, Bazoum has remained in detention along with part of his family.
In particular, the military regime has accused Paris of wanting to intervene militarily in Niger to reinstate the ousted president. It has also claimed that the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is an organisation "in the pay" of France, the former colonial power in Niger as well as neighbouring Mali and Burkina Faso.
ECOWAS imposed heavy economic and financial sanctions on Niger after the coup and threatened the military regime with the use of armed force to restore constitutional order.
France had 1,500 troops stationed in Niger. They were deployed there to help President Bazoum's government fight jihadist groups that have been terrorising the country - and much of the Sahel, the area immediately south of the Sahara - for years.
