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French Ambassador to Niger Itte and other diplomatic staff being held "hostage" and forced to eat military rations at French Embassy (English translation)

Putsch au Niger: Macron annonce que l'ambassadeur de France est "pris en otage"

https://l.bfmtv.com/J4a

Selon le chef de l'État, l'ambassadeur de France au Niger ne se nourrit plus que de "rations militaires".

FRENCH Title: Putsch au Niger: Macron annonce que l'ambassadeur de France est "pris en otage"

Caption: French President Macron says French Ambassador to Niger Itte and other diplomatic staff being held "hostage" and forced to eat military rations at French Embassy in Niamey, Niger: News Outlet Photo via BFMTV.

25 comments

kurogane

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The French variant of the article says that there is only military rations left to eat at the embassy.
But your post kind of implies that the French embassador is "force fed" military rations? This is a very weird way to translate it.

kambusha

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Are they being held hostage though?

kurogane

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The article is a little weird. This is my interpretation, need to look for other sources.

President says that the ambassador is "taken hostage, literally".
Military in Niger wants him out of the country, but French government says that his work is too valuable, he must stay.
Military says " OK, but he can't leave the embassy, Persona Non Grata".

Technically the ambassador has either choice of leaving the country or staying inside the embassy. Food is not delivered anymore, leaving him with military rations to eat.

kambusha

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Thanks!

sim642

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But your post kind of implies that the French embassador is "force fed" military rations? This is a very weird way to translate it.

No, it doesn't. You're trying too hard.

They're forced to eat them (not fed!) because there's nothing else. That's it!

zephyreks

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Maybe France should just pull out of Niger? Ever thought about that?

livus

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The West aren't pulling out of the Sahel until the mineral wealth has been extracted.

fendrax

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If you can read French, this article gives a great counterpoint on the situation https://contre-attaque.net/2023/09/15/niger-un-diplomate-francais-otage-de-macron/ Macron might very well be up to escalating the situation to the point he can engage Niger militarily.

zephyreks

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With what military lol

Hasn't the African Union already decided to not intervene in Niger?

France won't cause an international incident... right?

zephyreks

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Turns out the French embassy either serves croissants or military rations... And the Nigeriens took the croissants.

w2qw

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They probably only had margarine croissants left.

zephyreks

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There are actually stories coming out of Niger that suggest that the French tried to smuggle croissants into the embassy but were discovered by Nigerien police.

https://twitter.com/Sprinter99800/status/1701656176801231257

kurogane

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Scratch my previous summary. Yours wins the cake.

Ram_The_Manparts

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Lmao, frenchies after one day without croissants be like:

zkrzsz

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They can eat whatever they want when they are back in France.

tallwookie

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regul

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Niger wants him to leave, but Macron wants to manufacture a reason to intervene militarily.

livus

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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.

ComradePupIvy

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I am pretty sure that they where declared persona none gratta, I butchered that spelling, but they where told to leave, and they refused, this is hardly being held hostage, it is that they have broken the 1 law diplomats have to follow

atlasraven31

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No butter? No baguettes? No onions?

BastingChemina

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Now they have too eat stuff like salmon with rice and vegetables, cassoulet, hare terrine or lamb tajine with only creme caramel or nougat for dessert (this is all stuff that are in the French military rations)

Seriously I hope they will be alright, this must be an extremely stressful situation.

livus

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The article's a bit confusing but the Nigeriens mean they are feeding them Nigerien military rations, not French rations. Probably sorghum.

Nougat

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You called?

Bbbbbbbbbbb

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the horror

Mylemmy

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Listen that might even mean no wine at dinner

Madison_rogue

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NO WINE AT DINNER!?!?!?