(Reuters) -The French nuclear fuel specialist Orano studies the possibility of selling his assets in uranium in Niger after the breakdown of his relations with the junta in power, reports the Financial Times on Saturday, quoting sources to the fact of the file.
The group, of which the French State holds 90% of the capital, said Tuesday that it has decided to seize the Public Prosecutor of Niger for arbitrary arrest, illegal detention and unjustified confiscation of the ownership of Nigerian companies, after the searches of its offices by the security forces of the country of West Africa.
Orano had announced at the end of 2024 that the military government of Niger, in power since a coup in 2023, had taken operational control of its Somaïr subsidiary, a company responsible for exploiting the only uranium mine in Niger, of which it holds 63% of the capital.
The French group was also withdrawn a mining operating permit for its Imouraren subsidiary, canceled in June 2024.
In a declaration to Reuters, Orano said that his priority remained the current arbitration procedure, adding that “several parties have expressed their interest in the group’s mining assets in Niger and are free to submit offers if they wish”.
(Written by Harshita Meenaktshi in Bangalore, Benjamin Mallet)
Copyright © 2025 Thomson Reuters
I have over 8 years of experience working in the news industry. I have worked as a reporter, editor, and now managing editor at 247 News Agency. I am responsible for the day-to-day operations of the news website and overseeing all of the content that is published. I also write a column for the website, covering mostly market news.
