Niamey has called for the replacement of the European Union’s Ambassador to Niger, Salvador Pinto da Franca, amid a dispute over €1.3 million in emergency flood relief. The EU had recalled the ambassador to its headquarters in Brussels after Niger’s military-led administration accused him of distributing the funds to NGOs without government approval. The organization also denied the allegations, imploring Niamey to not politicize the issue. However, Niger has pressed forward with its claims, stating that da Franca continued unauthorized operations, even though he was warned to desist. In a statement issued on Sunday, the country’s foreign ministry declared it could no longer collaborate with the ambassador and requested an immediate replacement. The government also stated that it did not request the EU’s assistance and plans to handle the crisis independently. Since June, the West African country has grappled with floods that have killed over 300 people and displaced over 1.1 million.
SOURCE: AFRICA NEWS
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