French President Emmanuel Macron announced that the French ambassador would not leave the African country despite the ultimatum from the military coup junta in Niger.
The French President’s speech was delivered on the day that has passed a month since the coup in Niamey.
“I congratulate your colleague and your colleagues who are listening from your contribution,” he added, referring to the French Ambassador to Niger, Sylvain Itte. Paris ignored the ultimatum on the grounds that the order had not come from “legitimate authorities”.
France has around 1,500 troops in Niger, the last country in the Sahel next to Chad where it has a military presence. Macron stressed that the French military is in the Sahel because it is being claimed by the sovereign authorities of “friendly countries” to “fight terrorism”. He recognized that the situation has changed, which is why the device has already been adapted and “we will continue in the next few months.”