The French state-owned uranium giant Orano is reportedly seeking to sell its assets in Niger due to ongoing conflict with the government in Niamey.
According to a report published by the Financial Times on Saturday, Orano is currently exploring the sale of its Niger uranium mining assets following the breakdown in its relationship with the government.
Last week, Orano filed a lawsuit against the government after its offices were raided and employees’ cell phones were confiscated. The company’s local mining director, Ibrahim Courmo, was arrested and has not been heard from since.
The current military-led government in Niamey came to power in a coup in August 2023 and has pushed for greater state control over the country’s natural resources and mining sector.
In June, the government revoked Orano’s mining license for the Imouraren mine in the northern part of the country. Later, in early December, it seized the Somair mine near the city of Arlit, in which Orano held a 63% controlling stake. The company had shut down the mine in November after Niger’s border with Benin was closed.
The Somair mine is Niger’s largest uranium mine. Before 2023, Niger supplied over 20% of France’s uranium, and at significantly below-market rates.
In a statement released Saturday, Orano confirmed it is still pursuing legal avenues to resolve the dispute but acknowledged there are companies interested in purchasing its Niger assets and that it is open to offers.
In recent years, Niger, Burkina Faso, and Mali—each now led by military juntas following coups—have taken steps to dismantle Western, particularly French, control over their mining industries. They aim to gain a greater share of profits from their countries’ vast mineral wealth.
These three countries have since formed the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), a confederation that is distancing itself from traditional Western influence and instead strengthening ties with Russia and China economically, politically, and militarily.