NNA – France asked Nigerrsquo;s new junta to ldquo;fully guaranteerdquo; the safety of its embassy in Niamey ahead of planned protests Thursday in the capital following a coup.
The foreign ministry said it had asked Nigerien security forces to take the necessary measures to ensure that ldquo;the security of foreign diplomatic rights of way and diplomatic personnelrdquo; are guaranteed, adding that these were ldquo;obligations under international law, especially under the Vienna Convention.rdquo;
The coup unleashed protests against Nigerrsquo;s former colonial ruler and traditional ally France, and Paris evacuated its citizens on Tuesday after a violent demonstration outside its embassy.
During the rally, a few days after the coup by the elite presidential guard, the windows of the mission were smashed and the crowds chanted anti-French slogans.
Nearly 1,000 people were evacuated to France in the operation, a group made up mostly of French citizens but also including other nationals. —AFP
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