Niger’s military government has revoked the operating license of French nuclear fuel producer Orano at one of the world’s largest uranium mines, the company announced Thursday. The decision underscores escalating tensions between the junta, which seized power in a coup last July, and France, its former colonial ruler.
Orano reported that it has been instructed to vacate the Imouraren mine in northern Niger, which holds an estimated 200,000 tonnes of uranium crucial for nuclear energy production. The military government, which pledged to sever ties with the West upon assuming power, has been reviewing mining agreements and ordered the withdrawal of Western military forces.
Development at the Imouraren site, slated to commence in 2015, stalled following a decline in global uranium prices after the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster. Niger had warned that the operating license would expire on June 19 unless work resumed.
Orano expressed surprise at the decision, noting that it had resumed activities at the site in line with the junta’s expectations. However, a letter from the Nigerien mining ministry dated June 20, viewed by the Associated Press, cited Orano’s exploitation plan as failing to meet their standards.
The ministry’s letter declared the mine “reverted to the public domain,” nullifying all contractual rights associated with the project. Since assuming power, the junta has progressively distanced itself from France, including expelling the French ambassador and ordering the departure of French troops combating Islamist insurgents in the region.
Orano, which has operated in Niger for over half a century, expressed willingness to engage with military authorities while reserving the right to pursue legal action against the license revocation in national or international courts.
