According to the European Union’s nuclear agency, the decision poses no immediate threat to power output in the EU.
Niger’s military forces, who deposed President Mohamed Bazoum in a coup last week, barred uranium and gold exports to France on Sunday with “immediate effect,” according to several reports on Monday.
According to the Al Mayadeen news outlet, the decision was announced by General Abdourahamane Tchiani, the leader of the newly constituted transitional council.
Thousands of junta sympathisers cheered the move on Sunday during anti-French protests in Niamey, according to local news station Wazobia.
“How come we have uranium, diamonds, gold, and oil but live like slaves?” “We don’t need the French to keep us safe,” one of the demonstrators was reported as saying by the outlet.
According to the World Nuclear Association, Niger is the world’s seventh-largest uranium producer, accounting for 5% of global output. According to French media, the country accounts for 15%-17% of the uranium used in France to create energy.
According to Euratom, the European Atomic Energy Community, the West African country was the EU bloc’s second-largest exporter of natural uranium last year.
According to the IAEA, if Niger suspends supply, there is no immediate threat to nuclear power output because utilities in the EU have adequate uranium reserves to feed nuclear power reactors for three years.
The immediate impact of Niger’s uranium export cut on the French nuclear power business, according to Alexander Uvarov, editor of Russian nuclear news website Atominfo, would be minimal, but global uranium prices are likely to climb.
Orano, a French state-owned business that owns a uranium mine in Niger, stated on Tuesday that it is monitoring the security situation in the former French colony.
“The group closely follows the instructions given by the French Embassy to give employees the opportunity to leave Niger if they wish,” Orano said.
The business had said that mining operations would continue despite current “security events.”
France declared on Tuesday that it would evacuate French and European people from Niamey in the aftermath of the July 26 coup.
On Sunday, the junta claimed that French security forces assaulted demonstrators marching in support of the coup and against France’s involvement in the country. According to the coup leaders, six persons were hurt as a result of the French action.
France’s foreign ministry has denied employing fatal force against protesters.
