French nuclear fuels group Orano (ORAN.PA) said on Monday that a uranium shipment from its expropriated SOMAIR mine in northern Niger last week posed “serious safety and security risks,” citing threats of diversion of the radioactive material and potential violations of international transport rules.
According to Reuters, Orano stated that on November 27 it learned from media reports that a convoy carrying uranium concentrate, known as yellowcake, had left the Arlit mining site.
The company emphasized that it was not involved in the transfer and has no information about the quantity, destination, or buyer.
“Transporting a large quantity of uranium through an unsecured corridor poses significant safety and security risks,” Orano said by email, adding that roads unsuited for such loads could lead to diversion of the shipment.
A security source told Reuters that about 1,050 tons of uranium were moved from the SOMAIR site last week, although the destination and buyer remain unknown.
The Niger government did not immediately respond to requests for comment. However, in a broadcast on Sunday night, state television said the country would exercise its “legitimate right” to sell uranium from the SOMAIR mine to any buyer under market rules, asserting that sovereignty over natural resources is “non-negotiable.”
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The broadcast showed President Abdourahamane Tiani at the Arlit mine, vowing to end decades of French control and reclaim what officials described as “wealth plundered for more than half a century.”
The broadcast did not specify the shipment’s volume or the buyers but characterized the move as a turning point, pledging to place Niger’s uranium on the international market despite foreign criticism and tribunal orders.
Niger is contending with Islamist insurgents in its remote northern and western regions, where militants have seized stretches of land and in some cases blocked key transport routes.
Orano said it has no confirmation that international transport regulations were observed or that the uranium’s loading conditions met safety standards.
The transfer contravenes a September ruling by the World Bank’s International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes, which barred Niger from selling or transferring SOMAIR’s uranium in violation of Orano’s rights. Orano said it reserves the right to pursue further legal action, including criminal proceedings against third parties.
The dispute highlights growing resource nationalism following Niger’s 2023 coup, straining ties with Western partners and raising supply security concerns for European utilities dependent on Niger’s uranium.
Niger, the world’s seventh-largest producer of the nuclear fuel and cancer treatment material, seized SOMAIR in December and nationalized it under a June ordinance, removing Orano’s operational control after decades of partnership.
Orano had held a 63.4% stake in the mine, with the Nigerien state owning the remainder.
The takeover reflects a broader trend among West African governments to tighten control over resources and boost revenues amid rising commodity prices.
Reuters previously reported that approximately 1,500 metric tons of uranium were stockpiled at SOMAIR, with potential buyers including Turkish, Iranian, and Russian interests. Niger accounted for 15% of Orano’s uranium supplies when its mines were operating at full capacity.
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Image Credit: Mining.com
