France closes its embassy | EUROtoday
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LFrance has determined to shut its embassy in Niger, the place “it is no longer able to operate normally or carry out its missions”, AFP realized Thursday December 21 from diplomatic sources. “Taking note of this situation, we have decided to close our embassy soon,” these sources continued, including that the French illustration has proceeded with the “dismissal and compensation” of its native brokers. This extraordinarily uncommon measure comes after Niamey introduced on December 12 the departure of all French troopers deployed in Niger as a part of the anti-jihadist combat by December 22, i.e. this Friday.
It is the fruits of a deep divorce between France and Niger, because the generals got here to energy in Niamey, throughout a coup d’état on July 26. “After the attack on our embassy on July 30, and after the establishment of a blockade around our hold by Nigerien forces, we proceeded, at the end of September, with the departure of most of our diplomatic staff,” defined the diplomatic sources.
The “attack” of July 30
After the coup d’état of July 26, the navy in energy rapidly demanded the departure of French troopers – round 1,500 deployed to combat towards the jihadists – and denounced a number of navy agreements concluded with Paris. The navy regime additionally pronounced on the finish of August the expulsion of the French ambassador Sylvain Itté. He remained caught contained in the diplomatic illustration for nearly a month earlier than leaving. He was “taken hostage”, commented French President Emmanuel Macron.
READ ALSO Niger: a coup d’état extra political than navyNigerien corporations supplying provides to the embassy had been “dissuaded, even threatened” by the brand new energy, and ended up now not coming, Sylvain Itté declared on the finish of September on the TF1 channel. “We had to take out the trash without our friends in the junta noticing,” he stated, including: “It was a matter of bringing in food and water, again by showing ingenuity.”
On July 30, the violent demonstration which had focused the French embassy was an “attack” and had “lasted more than 2.5 hours”, he stated. “That day, we were collectively in danger and we came very, very close to the tragedy, because there were more than 6,000 people who were there to fight it out, who were there to enter the embassy” , the diplomat reported.
https://www.lepoint.fr/afrique/niger-la-france-ferme-son-ambassade-21-12-2023-2547933_3826.php#xtor=RSS-221