Niamey, Niger – The military rulers who took control of Niger after a recent coup have issued a demand for the United Nations coordinator in the country to depart Niger within 72 hours, as revealed in a statement seen by AFP on Wednesday.
In a statement dated Tuesday, Niger’s foreign ministry declared that Louise Aubin, the UN’s resident and humanitarian coordinator, had been instructed “to take all necessary measures to leave Niamey within 72 hours.”
The statement cited “obstacles” presented by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, which the Nigerien government claimed were intended to hinder Niger’s full and complete participation in the UN General Assembly held last month.
The military regime has previously criticized the actions of the UN chief, referring to them as “perfidious” and potentially detrimental to efforts to resolve the crisis in the country.
Bakary Yaou Sangare, formerly Niger’s ambassador to the UN before the coup and now the foreign minister under the new leadership, was designated as the representative for the UN General Assembly. However, a diplomatic source indicated that the ousted government also sought to represent Niamey at the assembly. Due to these competing claims, no representative from Niger was added to the speakers’ list.
This decision to expel the UN official comes as France is in the process of withdrawing its 1,400-strong military contingent from Niger, following the orders of the coup leaders. France’s ambassador to Niger was also instructed to leave following the coup that ousted President Mohamed Bazoum, who was considered an ally of Paris.
The situation in Niger remains fluid, and international observers are closely monitoring developments in the country.