Niger accuses French nuclear giant of ‘mass crimes’ as Uranium dispute escalates |
Niger’s military government has launched an extraordinary attack on the French state-owned nuclear company Orano, accusing it of environmental destruction, public endangerment, and violations of national sovereignty. The accusations-described by officials as “mass crimes”-represent the most serious escalation to date in a rapidly deteriorating relationship between Paris and its former colony, which for decades supplied uranium crucial to France’s nuclear-powered energy grid.
The confrontation took on a dramatic new dimension after Nigerien officials announced the discovery of about 400 abandoned barrels of radioactive core materials near the former Madaouela uranium site in the country’s northern desert region. According to Niger’s Mining Ministry, inspectors recorded radiation levels peaking at 10 microsieverts per hour, vastly exceeding the natural background level of around 0.5 microsieverts. Such exposure, if sustained, can pose long-term health risks, including respiratory damage, increased cancer risk, and contamination of surrounding ecosystems.
Niger’s Justice Minister, Alio Daouda, did not mince words as he addressed the press on December 2. He accused Orano-90% owned by the French government-of operating with “persistent disregard for Niger and its people since the beginning of uranium mining.” The alleged dumping of radioactive materials, he said, amounted to “a crime against the environment, against public health, and against national sovereignty.” His ministry has already initiated legal proceedings, and officials insist that the case could lead to international litigation.
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