France has raised concerns over reports that Niger’s military junta is negotiating the sale of about 1,000 metric tons of uranium to Russia’s state-owned nuclear company Rosatom, in a move that could deepen the Sahel nation’s pivot toward Moscow and further erode French influence in the region.
According to Le Monde, which cited multiple French government sources, the deal, valued at roughly $170 million, involves yellowcake uranium stockpiled at the Arlit mine in northern Niger.
From French partner to sovereign controller
The site was previously operated by the French nuclear firm Orano, which suspended its activities following the July 2023 coup d’état that toppled President Mohamed Bazoum and brought General Abdourahamane Tiani to power.
Since taking control, the junta has moved swiftly to assert sovereignty over key mining assets.
The authorities also expelled several French diplomats and energy executives, accusing them of interference and “neocolonial attitudes.”
High-risk transport through the Sahel
Under the reported arrangement, Nigerien and Russian officials are organizing a convoy of about 30 trucks to transport the uranium through Burkina Faso to the port of Lomé in Togo by the end of November, where it would be shipped to Russia.
According to a senior French security source, both sides have been working to coordinate logistics and ensure the cooperation of Burkinabé and Togolese authorities.
The proposed route traverses parts of the Sahel controlled by al-Qaeda and Islamic State-linked groups, raising fears of potential attacks or theft. French officials have privately described the plan as a “major security and strategic risk.”
Strategic fallout for France
Before relations deteriorated, Niger supplied as much as 15 percent of the uranium used to fuel France’s nuclear power plants, making it one of Paris’s most vital energy partners.
A new geopolitical reality
Analysts say the reported uranium deal underscores Niamey’s growing alignment with Moscow and its determination to distance itself from Western influence.
If finalized, the sale would hand Rosatom a valuable foothold in one of the world’s richest uranium regions, bolstering Russia’s expanding influence across West Africa and potentially supporting its war effort in Ukraine.
