A military-escorted convoy transported uranium from the Somaïr site in Arlit on Thursday, 27 November 2025, covering roughly 250 kilometres toward Agadez. The site, which holds over 1,300 tonnes of uranium, has been unable to export its stock since the Benin border closure. The operation follows the June 2025 nationalisation of the Aïr Mining Company—previously majority-owned by Orano—deepening diplomatic friction between Niamey and Paris after the 2023 coup.
Orano has condemned what it calls the “illegal transport” of uranium, saying it has no information on the volume moved, its destination, or the security arrangements. The French firm has already triggered two arbitration cases, and the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes ruled two months ago that Niger must not sell the disputed stock.
During a recent visit to northern Niger this month, General Abdourahamane Tiani reiterated that the uranium “belongs to the Nigerien people” and insisted Niamey “will not ask anyone’s permission” to sell it.
A source close to the government, speaking to RFI, suggested Niger is seeking a credible buyer to avoid fuelling nuclear proliferation, though the existence of the convoy was not confirmed. As the standoff escalates, Orano has signalled that it may initiate further legal action, underscoring a widening gulf between Niger’s assertion of resource sovereignty and France’s commercial and legal claims.
