September 15 (Reuters) – Emmanuel Macron said the French ambassador to Niger is “taken hostage” by the military junta that has seized power in the country, AFP reported on Friday.
“In Niger, as I speak to you, we have an ambassador and diplomatic members who are literally taken hostage at the French embassy,” declared the French president during a trip to Côte-d’Or.
“We are preventing food from being delivered. He eats with military rations,” added the head of state.
The Nigerien junta last month ordered the expulsion of the French ambassador, a request deemed inadmissible by Paris, which does not recognize the putschists.
(Written by Camille Raynaud, edited by Nicolas Delame)
©2023 Thomson Reuters, all rights reserved. Reuters content is the intellectual property of Thomson Reuters or its third party content providers. Any copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters. Thomson Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon. “Reuters” and the Reuters Logo are trademarks of Thomson Reuters and its affiliated companies.