On Thursday, the Nigerien Foreign Ministry announced that Itte no longer enjoyed diplomatic immunity and that the police had been instructed to proceed with his expulsion, Nigerien media reported. Later in the day, the Europe1 broadcaster reported that the Nigerien police had stepped up their presence outside the French embassy.
Since Itte had been declared persona non grata but did not leave the country within the prescribed 48 hours, his diplomatic card and visa were canceled, which makes his further stay on the territory of Niger illegal, the authorities said in the petition filed on Friday, as cited by the ANP.
The French ambassador was also stripped of all diplomatic privileges and diplomatic immunity under the Vienna Convention, the document read.
On July 26, Nigerien President Mohamed Bazoum was ousted and detained by his own guard, led by Gen. Abdourahamane Tchiani. France condemned the coup and said it continued to support "the legitimate government" of its former colony. The rebels halted gold and uranium exports to France, blocked French media and denounced several military pacts with Paris. In addition, they demanded in mid-August that French forces leave the country by early September. Since the coup, mass rallies have taken place in Niger demanding the complete withdrawal of French troops from the country.