ARCHIWUM PHOTO: An outdoor uranium mine in the Arlita region, Niger.© Jean-Luc DOLMAIRE / Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images
Niger's military government announced plans for the nationalization of Somair uranium, a local venture led by the French state-owned atomic fuel company Orano, among the increasing dispute between the miner and the West African state.
The authorities cited the alleged illegal actions of Orano as a justification for their decision, adding that the last mining agreement between Niger and the French mining giant expired in December 2023. The Somair uranium mine in the northern Arlit region has been operating since 1971.
"In the face of this irresponsible, illegal and unfair behaviour of Orano – a company belonging to the French state that has been openly hostile to Niger since 26 July 2023 – the Niger Government has decided, in full sovereignty, to nationalize Somair" – informed the national RTN broadcaster, quoting a message issued after the Council of Ministers of Niger gathering on Thursday."This nationalisation will enable healthier and more sustainable management of the company, and thus optimal usage of the wealth of mining resources by the Nigerites" said the government in a press release published by the Niger Press Agency.The relations between Niger and France have deteriorated since the military coup in that African country in July 2023, resulting in the breakdown of defensive cooperation and the expulsion of French troops that had previously been deployed to combat jihadist insurgents in the Sahel.The transitional authorities reviewed abroad mining concessions as part of a broader regional force on governments, including allies in neighboring Burkina Faso, Guinea and Mali, to increase gross from the extractive sector.Last December, Orano claimed that the government in Niamey took operational control of the Somair uranium mine, in which the French company holds 63.4% of the shares and the Nigerian state owns the others.In May, it reported that Nigerian safety forces raided the offices of local subsidiaries, seized equipment and arrested 1 of the directors.Orano reported it filed ‘several global arbitration proceedings’ Against Niger.On Thursday, however, Niger accused Orano of disengaging Somair from the company's global IT network on 4 December, which effectively shut down operations and unilaterally pronounced all licenses without notice.Niger is the world's seventh largest uranium producer, liable for about 5% of global production, according to the planet atomic Association.
Uranium exports from this country are a crucial origin of fuel for French atomic reactors, delivering about 15%-17% of uranium utilized in electricity production in France.
Translated by Google Translator
source:https://www.rt.com/africa/619970-niger-nationalizes-french-operated-uranium-mine/
