Sylvain Itté “no longer has the possibility of going out, he is persona non grata and we refuse to allow him to eat,” declared Emmanuel Macron on Friday. However, the repatriation of the diplomat and his team is not planned for the moment.
Nearly two months after the arrival of a junta at the head of Niger, France’s presence in the country is still contested by the putschists. The French ambassador in Niamey, Sylvain Itté, is taken into “literally hostage at the French embassy” by the soldiers who overthrew President Mohamed Bazoum at the end of July, declared Emmanuel Macron, Friday September 15. Joined by TF1/LCI on Saturday, Sylvain Itté nevertheless assured that he was with his team “safe inside the embassy.” Franceinfo returns to the situation.
He can no longer leave the embassy and food delivery is blocked
“We are preventing food from being delivered. He eats with military rations.” This is how the ambassador has been living in recent weeks, described the President of the Republic during a trip to Semur-en-Auxois (Côte-d’Or), Friday evening. Sylvain Itté did not “no longer able to go out, he is persona non grata and we refuse to allow him to eat”, continued Emmanuel Macron. The diplomat is not the only one to be held back. “There is still a small team around him”simply declared the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Catherine Colonna, without further details. “Despite a complicated situation which has been deteriorating since August 28, we are nevertheless safe inside the embassy,” declared Sylvain Itté to TF1/LCI.
Word “hostage” is assumed by the president’s entourage, contacted by franceinfo, even if no one entered the embassy to detain Sylvain Itté and his team. The latter are, in fact, under house arrest at the French embassy, which is located “under blockade”we emphasize.
For the journalist and writer specializing in the Sahel Seidik Abba, the term “hostage” used by Emmanuel Macron is “strong”. There are “postures” and one “language of belligerence” which is used by France and Niger, as well as Mali and Burkina Faso, other Sahelian countries. “On both sides, we are not taking any initiative to move towards de-escalation (…) We are really in a logic of open confrontation”he believes.
Paris has no plans to repatriate him
The French ambassador has the means to work, the Minister of Foreign Affairs also assured Friday on LCI. “He is very useful to us through his contacts”, she said, highlighting the release of a French national thanks to the French diplomatic cell still active on site. The latter, Stéphane Jullien, a representative of expatriates at embassies and consulates, was arrested by Nigerien security forces on September 8. Paris asked “his immediate release”.
For the moment, a return to France of the ambassador is not planned. “He stays as long as we want him to stay. It’s a decision that belongs to the President of the Republic”, declared Catherine Colonna, without further details. And to add: “We do not spontaneously have the desire to obey the injunctions of putschist authorities, whom we do not recognize. We have no reason to do so.” “I will do what we agree with President Bazoum because he is the legitimate authority and I speak to him every day”said Emmanuel Macron. “At the request of the President of the Republic, I remain at my post with my team”, confirmed Sylvain Itté to TF1/LCI.
He has been threatened by putschists for several weeks
On August 25, the junta gave the French ambassador 48 hours to leave the country. An ultimatum rejected by Paris. “France has taken note of the request of the putschistsdeclared the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The putschists do not have the authority to make this request, the approval of the ambassador coming only from the legitimate elected Nigerian authorities.”
Tensions escalated on August 31, when military authorities asked the police to expel him and lifted his diplomatic immunity. Vehicles traveling near the French embassy were searched, including diplomatic vehicles. However, under the Vienna Convention, Nigerian police are prohibited from entering premises, as the territory of an embassy is inviolable. “The police must therefore wait or hope that the ambassador sets foot outside to apprehend him,” noted the special envoy of France Télévisions to Niger, Nicolas Bertrand.