The French government’s decision to designate two operatives of Niger’s intelligence service as personae non gratae — men formally assigned to Niger’s embassy in Paris — offers more than a fresh diplomatic headache. It exposes the structural decay of a partnership that has been unravelling since the summer of 2023, when a military takeover in Niamey set off a chain of reprisals, troop withdrawals and mutual suspicion that now shapes every political, security and diplomatic exchange between the two capitals.
What actually happened in Paris
France ordered two officers of the Direction générale de la documentation et de la sécurité extérieure (DGDSE), Niger’s external intelligence agency, to leave the country. Both were officially accredited to Niger’s diplomatic mission in Paris. They were declared personae non gratae on 16 September and had left French territory three days later.
A French diplomatic source cited in French press reports said their presence could no longer be justified because bilateral cooperation between Paris and Niamey had effectively ceased. A Nigerien source, however, offered a different account: one of the two men was suspected of running surveillance operations against Nigerien opposition figures living in France.
The episode matters less for its scale than for its context. Cooperation channels between the two capitals have shrunk dramatically, and diplomatic missions on both sides are now operating in an environment where political trust has largely evaporated.
July 2023: the moment the relationship snapped
To grasp why two intelligence officers became a diplomatic flashpoint, it is necessary to go back to 26 July 2023. That day, soldiers grouped within the Conseil national pour la sauvegarde de la patrie (CNSP), led by General Abdourahamane Tiani, overthrew President Mohamed Bazoum.
Paris, which had backed the ousted president and called for the restoration of constitutional order, refused to recognise the legitimacy of the new military authorities. Niamey, for its part, condemned France’s stance and rejected what it described as interference in its internal affairs.
The crisis quickly moved beyond rhetoric. On 25 August 2023, Nigerien authorities gave France’s ambassador, Sylvain Itté, 48 hours to leave the country. Paris disputed the demand, arguing that the new authorities lacked the legitimacy to terminate his posting.
After weeks of standoff, President Emmanuel Macron announced on 24 September 2023 that the ambassador would return home and that French troops stationed in Niger would be withdrawn. The military pullout was completed by the end of 2023. That sequence marked a turning point in relations between the two countries.
A cycle of expulsions and countermeasures
The rupture was never limited to the ambassador’s departure. It brought restrictions on nationals, visas and diplomatic activity.
In February 2024, French press reports described how several French citizens had been turned back on arrival in Niamey despite holding valid travel documents. According to those accounts, Nigerien authorities were demanding specific authorisations for certain French travellers. Paris had also revoked a number of visas issued to Nigerien nationals, in a climate of reciprocal retaliation.
France’s embassy in Niamey then closed its doors, with French authorities citing serious obstacles to the exercise of its missions. In May 2024, the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs confirmed to the Senate that the closure would continue until further notice.
The decision now targeting two Nigerien intelligence officers therefore fits into a long series of measures that have steadily narrowed the space for direct dialogue between the two states.
Regional realignment and the sovereignty question
Beyond the expulsions, the Franco-Nigerien crisis reflects a broader political reorientation in Niger. The military authorities in Niamey have deepened their ties with Mali and Burkina Faso, both also led by governments that came to power through coups. The three countries formed the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), which presents itself as a vehicle for strengthening the political and security sovereignty of its members.
At the same time, the French military presence in Niger — long presented by Paris as a key component in the fight against armed groups in the region — has come to an end. Nigerien officials have repeatedly criticised French policy in the Sahel, while Paris has defended its record and denounced the obstacles placed in the way of its representatives.
This shift unfolds in a regional environment where sovereignty, security, military partnerships and control over resources have become central to public debate.
Why intelligence officers in an embassy become a sensitive issue
The expulsion of the two officers is a reminder that even when political relations are deeply degraded, diplomatic missions and intelligence activities remain highly sensitive subjects. The official presence of personnel linked to intelligence services within an embassy is not, in itself, unusual in international relations. Any accusation of clandestine activity, however, must be examined against verifiable evidence.
What the episode reveals is how quickly routine diplomatic arrangements can become instruments of pressure once political trust collapses. In the absence of functioning bilateral channels, even the presence of accredited personnel can be reframed as a threat rather than a normal feature of state-to-state relations.
What remains of the Paris–Niamey relationship
The latest French measure is another indicator of how weak bilateral ties have become. It does not necessarily amount to a total diplomatic break, since Niger’s embassy in Paris remains open according to French press reports. But it confirms that cooperation between the two countries is heavily constrained.
For ordinary Nigerien and French citizens, the consequences extend well beyond the diplomatic arena. Reduced institutional exchanges can complicate consular procedures, economic ties, cooperation projects and mechanisms for consultation on regional security.
The central question remains what conditions could allow any normalisation. That would require working communication channels, a clarification of disputes and political will on both sides to resume dialogue without abandoning positions each government regards as essential.
For now, the expulsion of the two Nigerien officers stands as another chapter in a crisis that began in July 2023 and whose effects continue to reverberate. Between distrust, accusations and strategic distancing, Paris and Niamey face a difficult challenge: preserving the means of diplomatic communication even as the confidence that once underpinned it has been severely eroded.
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