Niger Junta Expels French Ambassador While Tensions Mount
Protesters gather in front of the French Embassy in Niamey, Niger.
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Niger’s military leadership expelled the French ambassador just as talks to restore democracy between the West African nation and its regional partners were making progress.
The junta said earlier it was also expelling the ambassadors from the US, Germany and Nigeria, before a spokesperson retracted those orders. No such request has been made to the US government, the State Department said in a statement late Friday, adding that Niger’s foreign ministry has told the US it didn’t issue the images of the letters calling for the departure of American diplomatic personnel.