Keypoints:
- Court halts Niger uranium stockpile sale
- Orano representative to be freed
- Niger risks asset seizures abroad
AN international arbitration court in Washington, DC, has ordered Niger’s military government to halt the sale of disputed uranium stockpiles, escalating a bitter row with French mining giant Orano.
The ruling, delivered on Friday, requires Niamey to suspend any sale of uranium that Orano alleges was unlawfully taken from its operations. The court also directed Niger to release an Orano representative who has been detained since May.
Licence seized after junta takeover
Tensions between Niger and Orano have mounted since December 2024 when the country’s military rulers took control of the company’s uranium mine as part of a broader effort to tighten state control over strategic resources. Orano’s operating licence was subsequently revoked, forcing it to suspend production.
Paris has refused to recognise the junta, which seized power in 2023 and has since expelled French troops while strengthening ties with Russia and Turkey.
High-value uranium at stake
Orano contends that more than 1,000 tonnes of uranium concentrate, valued at over 200 million US dollars, have not been exported as agreed. If Niger ignores the court’s interim order, the company could move to seize Nigerien assets or royalties held abroad.
Lengthy legal battle ahead
The arbitration tribunal’s final decision could take months or even years, leaving one of the world’s key uranium supplies in limbo and adding to global concerns over energy security.
