Home News Niger Security Service Shuts French Mining Company Orano’s Offices Months After Revoking License
News

Niger Security Service Shuts French Mining Company Orano’s Offices Months After Revoking License

695
Orano Offices

Tensions between Niger and French uranium giant Orano has escalated as the country’s External Security Service (DGDSE) searched and shut down Orano’s offices in Niamey, seizing equipment and detaining a senior executive.

On May 5, DGDSE agents raided the offices of Orano and its local subsidiaries, confiscating cell phones, computers, and other electronic devices, according to sources familiar with the operation. By the following morning, the company’s premises were sealed off, halting all operations and barring employees from entering.

A source close to the company told Reuters that Ibrahim Courmo, Orano’s local director, had been arrested during the operation. Neither the Nigerien authorities nor Orano have officially commented on the arrest or the reason behind the search.

This move follows the Nigerien government’s decision on June 19, 2024, to revoke Orano’s authorisation to exploit the massive Imouraren uranium deposit — one of the world’s largest untapped uranium reserves. The government cited prolonged delays and unmet commitments by the company as grounds for the revocation. Orano has since contested the decision, arguing that security conditions in the region had impeded progress.

The Imouraren project, located in northern Niger, has long been a cornerstone of French energy interests in the Sahel. Orano, formerly part of the French state-owned Areva group, has operated in Niger for decades and was a key player in supplying uranium to France’s nuclear power industry.

It will be recalled that Orano has launched international arbitration against Niger following the country’s decision to revoke a key mining licence. The move comes after months of failed mediation efforts.

Read Also:

Instagram Faces Criticism for Labelling Nigerian Users Amid Mounting Regulatory Pressure on Meta

About The Author

Leave a comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Articles

Nigerian Passport
NewsTravel

Nigeria’s Passport Hike: How Rising Fees and Western Influence Are Pricing Ordinary Nigerians Out of Global Travel

Nigeria’s recent decision to raise the cost of international passports has sparked...

News

Russia Proposes Establishment Of Nuclear Power Plant in Niger

Russia has proposed building a nuclear power plant in Niger, offering broad...

Rose Gidado, Dual Regulator and Bill Gates-Funded TELA Maize Advocate, Defends GMO Safety With ‘We Won’t Poison Our Own People’
AgricultureNews

Rose Gidado, Nigeria’s GMO Regulator and TELA Maize Advocate, Defends Safety – ‘We Won’t Poison Our Own People’

Rose Gidado, Director at the Department of Agricultural Biotechnology of the National...

Nigerian Passport
NewsTravel

Nigeria Immigration Triples Passport Fees To N100,000, N200,000 In Less Than 2 Years

The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has announced another upward review of passport...