Only A Legitimate Government Can Cut Ties With Us, France Tells Niger Junta

• Niger’s ambassador to France remains in position, loyal to detained President Bazoum, rejects coup leaders’ mandate termination.
• France refuses Niger junta’s cancellation of military treaties, citing the need for decisions from legitimate leadership.

Niger’s ambassador to France insisted on Friday that she was still in her position despite the West African country’s coup, saying she remained loyal to detained President Mohamed Bazoum.

Aichatou Boulama Kane, who has been in her position since July 2022, said she rejected the coup leaders’ order to terminate her mandate as well as those of the Niger ambassadors to Nigeria, Togo, and the United States as “null and void.”

“I am still the ambassador of legitimate President Mohamed Bazoum, and I consider myself as such,” she told AFP over the phone.

The putschists’ notification to end her mandate “was taken by illegitimate authorities.” “I am the Niger ambassador in France,” she added.

Meanwhile, France rejected the Niger junta’s decision to scrap bilateral military treaties on Friday, saying only the west African country’s “legitimate” leadership had the authority to do so.

“The legal framework of France’s defence agreement with Niger is based on accords signed with legitimate Nigerien authorities,” the foreign ministry said, after the Niamey junta announced the cancellation of military cooperation agreements with Paris.

Niger Republic cuts off ties with Nigeria as peace talk fails

The Niger Republic’s military junta has taken the decision to sever ties with Nigeria following the failure of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to resolve the ongoing deadlock.

ECOWAS had set a seven-day ultimatum for the reinstatement of President Mohamed Bazoum in an effort to avoid potential clashes with the junta. However, President Bola Tinubu sent a high-level delegation led by General Abdulsalami Abubakar (rtd) to meet with the coup leaders on Thursday, but the meeting only involved representatives of the junta.

As a result, Niger has cut off ties not only with Nigeria but also with Togo, France (its former colonizer), and the United States.

“The functions of the extraordinary and plenipotentiary ambassadors of the Republic of Niger” to France, Nigeria, Togo and the United States are terminated,” Radio France International quoted one of the putschists to have said on national television.