Paris prosecutors have launched an investigation into the disappearance of a uranium shipment from a site in northern Niger. The site was formerly operated by the French company Orano (formerly known as Areva).
The investigation is focused on potential ‘organized theft for the benefit of a foreign power,’ amidst escalating tensions surrounding Niger’s nuclear resources between the new military authorities and the French company. Since the military coup in July 2023, the government of Niger has been engaged in a dispute with Orano over control of uranium mines.
In June 2024, the military authorities nationalized SOMAIR, an Orano subsidiary that operated the Arlit mine in northern Niger. Last November, Orano reported the departure of a uranium shipment from the Arlit site, where approximately 1,300 tons of the material was stored. The company cited a French court ruling from September, which stated that the Nigerien state did not have the right to sell or transfer uranium produced by SOMAIR, of which Orano held a 63.4% stake prior to nationalization.
Orano has stated that it does not know the quantity of material moved, its destination, or the identity of potential buyers. However, the company clarified that the stockpile dates back to its management of the site and amounts to approximately 1,600 tons of uranium concentrates, with a market value of roughly $310 million.
Since losing control of its three companies in Niger at the end of 2024, Orano has initiated international arbitration proceedings against Niamey. Niger is the world’s seventh-largest producer of uranium, which is used in the production of nuclear fuel and medical equipment for cancer treatment. France relies on nuclear power to generate approximately 70% of its electricity. Before the recent crisis, roughly 15% of its uranium needs were imported from Niger.
DZWatch will continue to monitor this developing situation.
