The government of Chad has ordered the German ambassador in the country, Gordon Kricke, to leave the country within 48 hours.
This was made public in a statement on Saturday which was obtained by Africa Today News, New York, without giving a specific reason for the expulsion.
‘This decision of the government is motivated by the discourteous attitude and the non-respect of diplomatic customs,’ the country’s Communication Ministry said on Twitter, Reuters reported.
“We have not been officially contacted’ a source at the German Embassy told newsmen on condition of anonymity, who revealed he had heard the news via social media.
Kricke has previously served as a diplomat in Niger, Angola and the Philippines. He was also a special representative for Germany in the unstable Sahel.
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A government source told reporters, on condition of anonymity, that Kricke was seen as “interfering too much” in the governance of the country and making divisive remarks.
He had been warned on several occasions, the source added.
General Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno took power after his father, President Idriss Deby Itno, who ruled the country for 30 years, died during an operation against rebels in April 2021.
The military junta initially promised to hand power to civilians, however, in October, Deby’s rule was extended for two years.
The German embassy joined others, such as France, Spain, and The Netherlands, in expressing its concern over the delayed return to democracy.