The dispute between Niger and French nuclear giant Orano has entered a new phase after an international arbitration tribunal barred Niamey from marketing uranium from the recently nationalised Somaïr mine.
The ruling, issued on 23 September by the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), complicates Niger’s efforts to regain full control of its resources. Until June, Orano held a 63.4% stake in Somaïr, which has been operating in the Arlit region since 1968.
Despite the legal victory, Orano remains unable to operate on the ground. Its local representative has been imprisoned, assets remain frozen, and the mine is under Nigerien control. Around 1,300 tonnes of uranium concentrate, valued at roughly €250 million, are blocked at the site due to the closure of the border with Benin.
Speaking at the United Nations on 27 September, Niger’s Prime Minister Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine denounced what he called an “economic war” waged by France.
He accused Paris of using legal proceedings to delay the exploitation of Niger’s resources. “We can only rely on our own strength, not on the powerless UN, hampered by the veto power of Western countries,” he said.
For Niger’s military-led government, in power since July 2023, the confrontation is about sovereignty and breaking with decades of dependency. Authorities argue that the country’s mineral wealth should serve domestic development rather than foreign interests.
The ICSID ruling, while favourable to Orano, carries risks for Niamey if ignored. Analysts warn of possible seizures of Nigerien assets abroad, declining investor confidence, and further international sanctions.
Uranium remains a critical issue. France, which generates about 70% of its electricity from nuclear power, relied on Niger for up to 15% of its uranium imports before 2023. Orano is now looking to Kazakhstan, Canada and Mongolia to offset the shortfall.
Niger faces significant challenges in running Somaïr independently.
The government must maintain complex mining infrastructure, secure new buyers, and handle environmental damage left by decades of extraction. Compensation for former shareholders, including Orano, has been promised but details remain unclear.
Orano, present in Niger for more than 50 years, has launched multiple arbitration proceedings and is seeking compensation for losses.
The dispute highlights the broader struggle between foreign investor rights and national sovereignty, casting the Orano-Niger standoff as a defining case in Africa’s push for economic independence from its former colonial partners.
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