Sylvain Itté (born 20 March 1959) is a French diplomat. He served as the French ambassador to Niger during the 2023 Nigerien coup d'état and ensuing political crisis.
Sylvain Itté | |
|---|---|
 Itté, 2024 | |
| French ambassador to Niger | |
| In office 28 September 2022 – 27 September 2023 | |
| Preceded by | Alexandre Garcia |
| Succeeded by | Position abolished |
| French ambassador to Angola | |
| In office 27 September 2016 – 12 October 2020 | |
| Preceded by | Jean-Claude Moyret |
| Succeeded by | Daniel Vosgien |
| French ambassador to Uruguay | |
| In office 30 September 2013 – 26 July 2016 | |
| Preceded by | Jean-Christophe Potton |
| Succeeded by | Philippe Bastelica |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 20 March 1959 Bamako, French Sudan |
| Children | 4 |
Early life and education
editBorn in Mali, Itté grew up in several different African countries until the age of six.[1] He then lived in multiple European countries until settling in France, earning a master's degree in public law from the Institut régional d'administration de Lille.[2]
Career
editIn 1985 Itté served in the French armed forces and was stationed in Berlin.[1] He next worked at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Paris as an office manager, beginning in 1988.[2] From 1991 to 1993, he worked as a technical adviser in the cabinet of the defense ministry and then served as deputy consul general in São Paulo, Brazil. Returning to the Foreign Affairs Ministry Itté served as a department head.[1][2] From 1998 to 2000 he headed the department of the Minister for Cooperation and Francophone.[1] He then worked as consul general in Madrid, Spain, then as Counselor in the French embassy in Cameroon.[2] From 2006 to 2009 Itté was the director general of the French department Coopération Internationale. From 2009 to 2012 he worked again in São Paulo, this time as Consul General. From 2012 to 2013 he served as the cabinet director of the Assistant Minister for French Abroad.[1]
Itté was appointed the French ambassador to Uruguay, serving in the position from September 2013 to July 2016.[3][4] He was then made French ambassador to Angola, serving from September 2016 to October 2020.[5][6] Itté was then appointed as ambassador to Niger in October 2022.[2][7] While serving as ambassador to Niger, a coup in the country occurred, with the National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland assuming control of the government. On 25 August 2023, in the midst of the international crisis that followed, the National Council ordered him to leave the country in 48 hours.[8][9] French President Emmanuel Macron announced he was keeping Itté at his post despite the ultimatum for his departure.[10] Itté's diplomatic immunity and visa, and that of his family, were revoked on 31 August and Nigerien police were ordered to remove him from the country, although this did not happen.[11] On 15 September Macron accused the Nigerien junta of holding Itte and his staff hostage by blocking food deliveries to the embassy, with Itte reportedly living off military rations.[12] On 24 September, it was announced by the French government that Itté and other diplomatic staff in Niger were to be recalled to France.[13]
Itté wrote the geopolitical book Au cœur de la diplomatie française en Afrique (At the heart of French diplomacy in Africa), originally set to be released in March 2024. The book's release is in doubt as its publication has been blocked by the French Foreign Ministry since January 2024 due to potentially sensitive information being included.[14][15]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e Zakaria Chihab. "Sommet UE-UA : de quoi parlera-t-on ?". Apple Podcasts (in French). Retrieved 2023-07-20.
- ^ a b c d e "Biographie de M. Sylvain Itté, Ambassadeur de France au Niger depuis le 28 septembre 2022". La France au Niger (in French). Ministère de l’Europe et des Affaires étrangères. 2022-10-20. Retrieved 2023-08-29.
- ^ Décret du 30 septembre 2013 portant nomination d'un ambassadeur extraordinaire et plénipotentiaire de la République française auprès de la République orientale de l'Uruguay - M. ITTÉ (Sylvain), retrieved 2023-08-30
- ^ Décret du 26 juillet 2016 portant nomination d'un ambassadeur extraordinaire et plénipotentiaire de la République française auprès de la République orientale de l'Uruguay - M. BASTELICA (Philippe), retrieved 2023-08-30
- ^ Décret du 27 septembre 2016 portant nomination d'un ambassadeur extraordinaire et plénipotentiaire de la République française auprès de la République d'Angola - M. ITTÉ (Sylvain), retrieved 2023-08-30
- ^ Décret du 12 octobre 2020 portant nomination d'un ambassadeur extraordinaire et plénipotentiaire de la République française auprès de la République d'Angola - M. VOSGIEN (Daniel), retrieved 2023-08-30
- ^ "Liste chronologique des ambassadeurs". La France au Niger (in French). Retrieved 2023-08-30.
- ^ Balima, Boureima; Aksar, Moussa (2023-08-26). "Niger junta expels French ambassador". Reuters. Retrieved 2023-08-29.
- ^ "Niger Junta Expels French Ambassador While Tensions Mount". Bloomberg.com. 2023-08-25. Retrieved 2023-08-29.
- ^ "Crise au Niger: Macron annonce que l'ambassadeur français va rester malgré les pressions des putschistes". BFMTV (in French). Archived from the original on 29 August 2023. Retrieved 2023-08-29.
- ^ "Niger's military regime orders police to expel French ambassador and revokes his diplomatic immunity". AP News. 2023-08-31. Retrieved 2023-08-31.
- ^ "Macron Says Ambassador To Niger 'Literally Held Hostage'". Barron's. 2023-09-15. Retrieved 2023-09-16.
- ^ "Macron says France to withdraw ambassador and troops from Niger after coup". 24 September 2023. Archived from the original on 24 September 2023. Retrieved 24 September 2023.
- ^ "French government reportedly blocks book by former ambassador to Niger". 2024-01-24. Retrieved 2024-08-30.
- ^ "La publication d'un récit de l'ex-ambassadeur de France au Niger bloquée par le Quai d'Orsay ?". Ouest France (in French). 2024-01-24. Retrieved 2024-02-16.