Name: Niger puts Somair uranium up for international sale
Uploaded: 2025-12-01T23:45:06.760Z
Duration: 1 min 30 s
Description: In Niger, the military government announced Sunday that it will place uranium produced by Somair on the international market, escalating its standoff with French company Orano, which owned Somair until it was nationalised in June.

In Niger, the military government announced Sunday that it will place uranium produced by Somair on the international market, escalating its standoff with French company Orano, which owned Somair until it was nationalised in June.

Niamey

Niger's ruling military junta has declared its intention to sell uranium from the Somair mine on the international market, following the nationalisation of the mine from French company Orano. Orano, which is majority-owned by the French government, has lost control of its uranium operations in Niger and initiated several international arbitration proceedings against the country.

The announcement comes amid strained relations between Niger and France, with Russia also expressing interest in Niger's uranium resources. Despite a tribunal ruling in Orano's favour, ordering Niger not to sell uranium from Samer, the junta maintains its right to independently market its resources.

Niger puts Somair uranium up for international sale

Uranium, a highly sought-after element mined from deep in the Earth's crust, is at the centre of a rift between Niger's military regime and the French nuclear firm Orano. On Sunday, Niger's state television announced that the country's reserves, produced by Samer, will be put on the international market, citing the ruling junta's chief. Niger claims its legitimate right to dispose of its natural riches to sell them to whoever wants to buy them under the rules of the market in complete independence. Samer was a subsidiary of Orano, which is 90% owned by the French government, until the junta nationalised it in June. It has been in the military regime's line of sight since it came to power in a coup in 2023. In December 2024, Orano admitted it had lost control of its three uranium mines in the country, and has since filed several international arbitration proceedings against Niger. Russia, too, has entered the fray. In July, Moscow's energy minister said it was also interested in mining Niger's uranium. Orano still retains a 60% stake in subsidiaries, and announced in September that a tribunal had ruled in its favour, and had ordered Niger not to sell uranium produced by Samer. The ongoing tensions are part of the deterioration relations between Niger's leadership and the former French colonial power.

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