Uranus for a nuclear power plant. Did Russia propose such a system to Niger?

Russia wants to take over Uranus deposits in Niger after the French withdrawal – informs the magazine “Jeune Afrique” published in Paris. In return, Moscow promises the building of the Nuclear Power Plant ruling the Military Junta country

According to “Jeune Afrique”, the Kremlin is interested in the Imouraren deposit – one of the largest undeveloped uranium deposits in the world – after the rights of the French company Orano – until 2018 known as Areva – were canceled last year.

Niger has one of the largest uranium deposits in the world, which Orarano exploited for over five decades. But the French presence in this West African country ended with the coup d'état, which in July 2023 raised General Abdouraman Tchiani to power.

After taking over the power of Junta, she almost immediately broke off relations with the former colonial power. First, she told the French forces to leave the military bases, then she announced the local language of Haus in the national language, degrading French to the rank of working language, and in June last year she nationalized the uranium mines exploited by the French.

Russia took the opportunity and suggested that it would gladly replace France. Because Niger, although rich in raw materials, struggles with a deficit of electricity, which is largely imported from abroad from abroad, the Russian state corporation Rosatom proposed the construction of a nuclear power plant.

Niger is not the first African country that has heard Russian promises. The Kremlin recently boasted that Rosatom has signed contracts for the production of nuclear energy with at least 20 countries of this continent, including Algeria, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Guinea, Mali, Kenia, Republic of South Africa and Tunisia.

Until now, nuclear power plant has been created in any of these countries, and the chances of its construction in Niger are minimal, primarily due to the lack of security.

Niger is currently fighting Islamist armed groups, including the Islamic state of the Sahel province (ISSP) and an Islamic and Muslims support group (Jnim), as well as Boko Haram and jihadists from the province of Islamic West Africa (ISWAP).

Among other things, for this reason, France found the local nuclear program impractical. (PAP)

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