France reported this Tuesday that one of its officials was arrested in Niger, where the military recently seized power in a coup d’état, and demanded his immediate release.
The military in Niger – a former French colony in West Africa – overthrew elected president Mohamed Bazoum in July and then They ordered French officials to leave the country, an order that France has ignoredsaying that the junta is not the legitimate government there.
The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs indicated on X (formerly Twitter) that Stephane Julliena long-settled businessman in the country who played a role representing the interests of French expatriates at the French embassy in Niger, was arrested last Friday, and demanded his “immediate release.”
French President Emmanuel Macron has said the French ambassador will remain in his post in Niger despite the military demanding his departure. In a speech to ambassadors in August, Macron played down fears that disobeying the junta could be dangerous.
The arrest of a French official will surely aggravate tensions between France and Niger.
The French ministry did not provide details on where or how Jullien was arrested, or whether officials in Paris know where he is being held. He just said that France is monitoring the situation closely and is “fully mobilized” to provide all the corresponding protections to its citizens abroad.
France “demands his immediate release,” the statement said, indicating that the French embassy in Niamey had been working to guarantee him consular protection since the day of his arrest.
Relations between Niger and France deteriorated rapidly after the July 26 coup d’état, which overthrew the President Mohamed Bazoum, ally of France.
Paris, which has about 1,500 soldiers deployed in Niger As part of France’s broader fight against jihadists in the Sahel, it has supported Bazoum and declared post-coup authorities illegitimate.
Last week, a French Defense Ministry source stated that the French military was holding talks with the Nigerien armed forces to remove “elements” from their presence.
Furthermore, after the coup d’état, France carried out an evacuation operation for French citizens who wanted to leave that country, just as other governments such as Spain did. The Paris operation transferred 1,079 people, of them 577 French and the rest of another fifty nationalities, although several hundred French citizens chose to remain in Nigerlike Julien, who according to press reports had been in that country for 18 years.
Sanction the coup plotters
On the other hand, the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Policy, Josep Borrell, asked the member states of the bloc this Tuesday to accelerate the imposition of sanctions against those responsible for the military coup in Niger.
In a question session in the European Parliament on the situation in the Sahel, the head of European diplomacy urged to reiterate support for the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in its position towards Niamey and “not to show signs of “openness that can reinforce the military regime.”
“You can’t be at mass and ringing. “You cannot say that I do not recognize him and then fraternize or support him…. if I do not recognize him, I do not recognize him,” stressed the former Spanish minister.
During this debate, the EU Foreign Minister defended the role of the member states and specifically of France, subject of criticism by the military junta, ensuring that its presence has always sought to “consolidate stable regimes to fight against insecurity and develop the country.”
The coup junta has accused Paris of using ECOWAS to carry out a military intervention in the country.
(With information from AFP, AP, EFE and EuropaPress)
Source-www.infobae.com