Niger’s military government is moving to exert greater control over its vast uranium reserves, announcing plans to sell the resource on the international market following the revocation of mining rights held by French energy giant Orano. The decision, made Sunday, escalates a growing dispute with France-a key partner in the Sahel region-and raises concerns about potential disruptions to Europe’s nuclear fuel supply, as Niger provided roughly a quarter of Europe’s uranium in 2022. This move follows last year’s coup that brought the current military council to power and signals a potential shift in geopolitical alliances as Russia reportedly eyes increased involvement in Niger’s mining sector.
Niger’s military government announced Sunday it will offer uranium produced by the Somair company – formerly operated by French giant Orano – for sale on the international market. The move comes after the nation revoked Orano’s operating rights earlier this year, escalating tensions with France and signaling a potential realignment of partnerships in a region critical for Europe’s nuclear energy supply.
The dispute over uranium mining has been central to the strained relationship between Niger’s military council, which seized power in 2023, and Orano, in which the French government holds a 90% stake. Orano has operated uranium mines in Niger for decades.
According to a report Sunday evening on state-run television station Tele Sahel, General Abdourahamane Tchiani, the head of the military council, affirmed “Niger’s legitimate right to dispose of its natural resources and sell them to whomever wishes to buy them, in accordance with market rules, and with complete independence.”
Russia has also expressed interest in uranium mining operations in Niger. In July, Russian Energy Minister Sergei Tsivilev stated that Moscow was keen to develop uranium resources within the country.
Since taking power through a coup in 2023, Niger has turned to Russia for assistance in combating jihadist insurgencies. Simultaneously, the military government has distanced itself from France, its former colonial power, accusing it of supporting separatist groups.
In 2024, Niger canceled Orano’s operating concessions for three key mines – Somair, Cominak, and Imouraren – which collectively hold some of the world’s largest uranium deposits.
While Orano retains a formal 60% stake in its subsidiaries, the company has initiated various arbitration proceedings in an attempt to regain operational control of the mines.
Data from the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom) indicates that in 2022, uranium sourced from Niger accounted for 25% of the supply to European nuclear power plants. The development underscores the potential for significant disruption to Europe’s energy sector as the situation unfolds.
