Situation in Niger After Military Coup
On July 26, Niger's presidential guard detained President Mohamed Bazoum. The guard's commander, Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani, proclaimed himself the country's new leader.

French Mission in Niger Officially Shuttered Indefinitely, Foreign Ministry Says

© AFP 2023Partisans du Conseil national pour la sauvegarde de la patrie (CNSP) au Niger, le 16 septembre 2023
Partisans du Conseil national pour la sauvegarde de la patrie (CNSP) au Niger, le 16 septembre 2023 - Sputnik Africa, 1920, 03.01.2024
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In August, amid anti-French demonstrations in Niger, the country's military authorities announced the expulsion of the French ambassador from the country and the cancellation of military agreements with France. A month later, the French ambassador to the West African country, Sylvain Itte, left Niger.
The French embassy in Niger's capital Niamey will remain closed indefinitely, the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs declared on Tuesday.
The ministry listed the following reasons for the closure:

"For the past five months, our Embassy has been subjected to major obstacles that have made it impossible to do its job: a blockade around the Embassy, restrictions on employee movements, and the turning away of all diplomatic personnel who were supposed to arrive in Niger," the statement said.

According to the announcement, the activities of the Niger embassy will now be carried out from Paris.
Furthermore, the diplomatic envoys will maintain connections with French nationals in Niger and provide financial assistance to non-governmental organizations operating in the humanitarian field to help the local communities.
Nigerien men gather for an anti-French protest in Niamey, Niger, Friday, Aug. 11, 2023. - Sputnik Africa, 1920, 02.01.2024
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'People of Niger Have Risen Up as One': Education Unionist on French Withdrawal From Nation
At the end of December, the French ambassador to Niger, Sylvain Itte, stated in a letter that the French diplomatic mission was unable to carry out its full range of responsibilities due to the restrictions imposed on the embassy by the new Nigerien authorities following the July coup d'état in the nation.
The decision was taken shortly before the departure of the last French troops stationed in Niger, who were withdrawn from the country at the request of the new Nigerien leadership.
Following the military coup in Niger on July 26, there were widespread protests against France, reflecting the local population's rebuttal of their former colonial ruler and demanding the withdrawal of French forces.
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