Niger’s military regime announced on Sunday that it will put uranium produced by Somair, a subsidiary of French energy giant Orano, nationalised by the junta in June on the international market.
Uranium mining in Niger has become the focal point of a standoff between the 2023 coup-installed junta and Orano, which is 90 percent owned by the French government and has operated Nigerien mines for decades.
The announcement was made on state television Tele Sahel, citing comments by junta leader General Abdourahamane Tiani. Tiani stated that “Niger has the legitimate right to dispose of its natural riches and sell them to whoever wishes to buy, under market rules, in complete independence.”
The move comes amid Niger’s growing ties with Russia. In July, Russian Energy Minister Sergei Tsivilev expressed Moscow’s interest in mining uranium in the country. Since seizing power, the junta has sought Russian assistance to combat the West African nation’s jihadist insurgency while distancing itself from its former colonial power, France, which it accused of supporting separatist groups.
In 2024, Niger removed Orano’s operational control over its three main uranium mines—Somair, Cominak, and Imouraren, the latter holding one of the world’s largest uranium deposits. Orano still retains a 60 percent stake in the subsidiaries and has initiated arbitration procedures to regain operational control.
Uranium from Niger is a key supplier to European nuclear power plants. In 2022, the country accounted for about a quarter of Europe’s natural uranium supply, according to data from the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom).
AFP
