France’s foreign ministry on Tuesday called for the immediate release of a French official held by security forces in Niger.
The ministry said on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, that Stephane Jullien, counsellor for French citizens abroad — a non-diplomatic, elected post — , was arrested last Friday (September 8), and called for his “immediate release.”
The Foreign Ministry did not elaborate on where and how Jullien was arrested or whether officials in Paris knew where he was being held. It said only that France was following the situation closely and was “fully mobilized” to assure him the protections due to anyone in another country.
The official is a “conseiller des Français de l’étranger” (adviser to French citizens abroad), who is an elected official who represents French expatriates and works closely with the country’s embassies and consulates.
According to the foreign ministry website, there are 442 such advisers worldwide. Their role is to help French expats with issues relating to work, schools, social security and other issues. They are elected for six-year terms.
Niger’s ruling junta last month ordered police to expel France’s ambassador, in a move marking a further downturn in relations between France and its former colony. Paris has said that the army officers who seized power in Niamey in late July had no authority to expel the French ambassador.
Peoplesmind
