Cape Town — Niger's ruling junta has ordered police to expel France's ambassador, Reuters reports from Niamey.
Authorities in Paris said the army officers who seized power in Niamey last month had no authority to make the order.
The visas of French ambassador Sylvain Itte and his family have been cancelled and police are instructed to expel the envoy, the junta said in a statement dated August 29 and confirmed as authentic on Thursday August 31 by its communications head.
Instigators of the coup had last Friday ordered Itte to leave the country within 48 hours but France refused to obey the request.