The military government in Niger Republic has issued an order for Louise Aubin, the United Nations (UN) resident coordinator, to leave the country within 72 hours.
This move follows accusations by the junta that the UN general secretariat has “thwarted” the country’s participation in the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
In July, the military leaders in this landlocked West African nation overthrew the democratically elected President, Mohamed Bazoum.
Since then, efforts by regional and international leaders to facilitate the return of Niger to civilian rule have faced significant challenges.
The latest point of contention revolves around Niger’s absence from the 78th UNGA session in September, a development that angered the coup leaders.
In a statement dated October 10 and addressed to the UN, Niger Republic’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs accused the global body of employing “underhanded maneuvers” against Niger “under the instigation of France.”
The junta asserted that this “sponsored sabotage” against the country continued at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) general conference in Vienna and the extraordinary congress of the Universal Postal Union (UPU) held in Saudi Arabia.
