The UN coordinators in Niger has been told to leave the country by the military junta that seized power in a coup. Louise Aubin, who is also the Nigerien foreign minister, received a 72-hour ultimatum from the government on Wednesday, October 11, according to a statement from the ministry.
The statement accused UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres of creating “obstacles” to prevent Niger from fully participating in the UN General Assembly last month. The junta said that Guterres’ “treacherous actions” were “likely to compromise any attempt to resolve the crisis in our country.”
The junta had chosen Bakary Yaou Sangare, the former Nigerien ambassador to the UN and the current foreign minister, to represent Niamey at the event. However, Guterres claimed that the ousted government also applied to speak for Niger. The issue was postponed and no Nigerien delegate was allowed to address the assembly due to the conflicting claims.
The expulsion of the UN official comes as France announced its withdrawal of its 1,400 troops from Niger, following the orders of the coup leaders who overthrew President Mohamed
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