Niger pulls French firm's permit for big uranium mine
Niger's military government has revoked a French fuel producer's permit to operate at one of the world's biggest uranium mines, the company says.
Orano had been licensed to work on the Imouraren mine in northern Niger, which sits on an estimated 200,000 tonnes of the metal that is vital for producing nuclear energy.
Following years of production delays, the West African nation had warned that Orano's licence would lapse unless work resumed at the site.
On 11 June, roughly a week before the deadline, Orano announced that work had begun.
But on Thursday Orano said its permit had been withdrawn - a move that comes amid tensions between France and Niger's ruling junta.
Since the Nigerien military took power in last year's coup, it has been reducing its ties to France and establishing closer links to Russia.
Relations with France hit rock bottom in December after the junta expelled French troops deployed to fight Islamist militants in the region.
The military government also vowed to review foreign mining concessions in the country after it took power.
"Orano fears that this decision to withdraw the mining permit for the deposit will have a negative impact on the economic, social and societal development of the region," the company said in a statement.
It reserved the right to take legal measures against the withdrawal and "remains willing to keep all channels of communication open with the Niger authorities on this subject", Orano added.
The government in Niger, which is one of the largest producers of uranium in the world, has not commented on Orano's statement.
However, it had previously warned that it would rescind Orano's licence if development work had not started at Imouraren by June 19.
Mining was meant to have begun there in 2015 but production was halted after a collapse in world uranium prices in the wake of the 2011 Japanese nuclear disaster.
The French firm has been present in Niger for more than 50 years.
A uranium mine at Akokan has been closed since 2021 but Orano runs another in the northern region of Arlit.
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