Emmanuel Macron announces that the French ambassador is “taken hostage”

Emmanuel Macron announced Friday September 15 that the French ambassador to Niger, Sylvain Itté, had been taken into custody “hostage” by the soldiers who overthrew President Mohamed Bazoum and took power on July 26. “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 Head of State during a trip to Semur-en-Auxois (Côte-d’Or).

“We are preventing the delivery of food. He eats with military rations”he added. The ambassador did not “no longer able to go out, he is persona non grata and we refuse to allow him to eat”, insisted Emmanuel Macron. Asked about a possible repatriation of the ambassador to Paris, the head of state reiterated: “I will do what we agree with President Bazoum because he is the legitimate authority and I speak to him every day.”

Mohamed Bazoum is still considered by France as the legitimate head of state of Niger. On September 10, Emmanuel Macron had already stressed that a possible redeployment of French forces stationed in Niger would only be decided at the request of President Bazoum.