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French nuclear group Orano said that it “strongly condemns” the removal of uranium from the SOMAÏR mine in northern Niger.
The company called the transfer illegal and a direct breach of the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes’ (ICSID) September ruling, which prohibits the material from being sold or moved without the company’s consent.
Orano said it learned of the shipment only after media reports disclosed that uranium had been taken from the Arlit-based facility, which has been under the control of Niger’s military government since late 2024.
The company went on to explain “ (it) is not the initiator of this shipment,” adding that it has no official information on the quantity removed, the shipment’s destination, or the conditions of its transport.
The incident deepens an already severe standoff that has been building for more than a year, following the military junta’s decision in December 2024 to block Orano from operating the mine despite the company’s majority stake.
At the time, Orano publicly confirmed it had lost operational control, noting that board-approved directives were no longer being carried out and that authorities were preventing the suspension of production expenses.
The situation escalated further in June 2025, when Niger announced it would nationalize SOMAÏR outright.
The government accused Orano—a firm it described as “owned by the French state—a state openly hostile toward Niger since July 26, 2023” — of “irresponsible, illegal, and unfair behaviour.”
Authorities said the mining agreement had expired in December 2023 and argued that nationalization was an assertion of “full sovereignty.” Orano, which held a 63 percent stake in the venture, declined to comment at the time but continued to pursue arbitration and legal action.
The dispute produced a ruling favorable to Orano in September. The ICSID tribunal ordered Niger “not to sell, transfer, or even facilitate the transfer to third parties of uranium produced by SOMAÏR” that was being held in violation of Orano’s rights.
That decision has now become central to the new controversy, with the latest shipment appearing to defy the tribunal’s directive.
Orano said the uranium transfer constitutes a “breach” of the ruling and warned it is prepared to take further steps in response. The company said it reserves the right to take any additional action necessary, including criminal proceedings against third parties, should the material be taken in violation of its offtake entitlement.
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