Niger has revoked the operating license of a major uranium mine operated by the French company Orano, signaling heightened tensions between the military junta in Niger and France, its former colonial power.
The military junta took control of Niger in a coup in July last year, pledging to reduce ties with Western powers and review mining agreements in the country. This decision to revoke Orano’s license at the Imouraren mine, located in northern Niger and holding an estimated 200,000 tonnes of uranium crucial for nuclear energy production, underscores the junta’s stance on national sovereignty and resource management.
Development at the Imouraren mine was set to commence in 2015 but was delayed following the global decline in uranium prices post the 2011 Japanese nuclear disaster. Niger had warned Orano that its license would expire on June 19 unless mining activities resumed. However, citing deficiencies in Orano’s exploitation plan, Niger’s mining ministry notified the company on June 20 that the mine was being returned to public control, effectively stripping Orano of all contractual rights.
This move is part of Niger’s broader strategy under the junta to assert its independence and sovereignty. Since taking power, the junta has progressively severed ties with France, including expelling the French ambassador and ordering the withdrawal of French troops deployed to combat Islamist insurgents in the region.
The revocation of Orano’s license at the Imouraren mine reflects Niger’s determination to assert control over its mineral resources and reshape its foreign relationships, amid shifting geopolitical dynamics in the Sahel region.
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