NIAMEY (Reuters) -Niger's ruling junta has ordered police to expel France's ambassador, a move marking a further downturn in relations, and one that authorities in Paris said the army officers who seized power in Niamey last month had no authority to make. The coup's leaders are following the strategy of juntas in neighbouring Mali and Burkina Faso in distancing themselves from the region's former colonial power amid a wave of anti-French sentiment. The visas of French ambassador to Niamey Sylvain Itte and his family have been cancelled and police are instructed to expel the envoy, the junta said in a statement dated Aug. 29 and confirmed as authentic on Thursday by its communications head.
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Niger, a key ally of Western countries against Islamist insurgencies in West Africa's semi-arid Sahel region, is host to a number of foreign troops. The military ouster of President Mohamed Bazoum threatens to strain Niger's ties with the West. Following is a list of Western countries with troops in the country.