Orano SA said Niger has taken operational control of the Somair uranium mine, in an escalating clash between the French state-controlled nuclear group and African nation’s military junta.
The French company, which owns 63.4% of the Somair mine, plans to defend its rights, while keeping the door open for an accord with the Niger government, which owns the rest of the operation, Orano said in a statement Wednesday.
Niger’s ban on uranium exports is also hitting Somair’s financial position, as production costs accumulate, Orano said. Shipments from the West African country, which accounted for about 4% of global output of the nuclear fuel in 2022, were halted following last year’s coup.
Landlocked Niger ditched its defense alliance with France and has been forging closer ties with Russia and Turkey, which are seeking access to its mineral deposits. Cash-strapped military regimes in neighboring Mali and Burkina Faso are also seeking a larger share of resources, as Moscow’s influence in the region grows.
Sabiou Gaya, general manager of state mining company Sopamin, which owns 36.6% of Somair’s operations, declined to comment when reached by phone.
Orano, a major supplier to Electricite de France SA and other nuclear plant operators, has maintained shipments via its other mines in Canada and Kazakhstan, Chief Executive Officer Nicolas Maes said in July.
Source: Bloomberg
