The French Minister of Foreign Affairs Catherine Colonna, however, assured Friday evening on the LCI channel that the French ambassador to Niger is "working" and he will remain in his post as long as President Emmanuel Macron wishes despite the expulsion desired by the military in power.

Sylvain Itté "works (...) He is very useful to us through his contacts, through those of his team, there is still a small team around him", declared Catherine Colonna. “He stays as long as we want him to stay. It’s a decision that belongs to the President of the Republic,” she added.