Why France’s Ambassador to Ghana keeps facing questions about her loyalty

France’s Ambassador to Ghana, Diarra Dimé-Labille, has dismissed questions about her loyalty to France because of her Senegalese background, stressing that her duty as a civil servant is to serve France.

Speaking on TV3's Today's Woman on October 8, 2026, she said often faced questions about where her loyalty would lie if France and Senegal found themselves on opposing sides of an issue.

Ghana’s envoy to Saudi Arabia touts Mahama government’s economic gains

“I’m serving my country, and the country I’m serving is France. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be a civil servant,” she stated.

Dimé-Labille said she had sometimes joked that she would move to Switzerland if such a situation arose.

However, she believes the bigger question is how she can use her position to strengthen relations between France and other countries.

“The most important thing is now to use that position and try to do whatever you can for the relationship between the two countries,” she said.

The ambassador said she was proud of her background and saw it as an advantage in her work, rather than a reason for people to question her commitment to France.

Dimé-Labille said better communication was also necessary to help people understand the history and direction of France’s engagement with African countries.

"The most important thing is now to use that position and try to do whatever you can for the relationship between the two countries. That's my real area of focus, not if I'm loyal to France or not," she added.

She maintained that her priority was to use her position to strengthen France’s relationship with Ghana, while drawing on her background to contribute to that effort.

Dimé-Labille was appointed as French Ambassador to Ghana in September 2026 after distinguished service at the Élysée Palace.

She has established herself as a key figure in French diplomacy in Africa.

JKB/VPO

THE LOWDOWN: GES PRO Speaks on SHS Placement Crisis and Teachers’ Strike