Niger's recent revocation of the uranium mining licence held by the French state-owned firm Orano raises questions about France's energy independence.A man enters the Areva Tower at La Defense business district, outside Paris, Tuesday, January 23, 2018. / Photo: AP
After the coup, Nigeriens protested and attacked the French embassy. Historically, some of their grievances can be traced to how French colonial rule exploited resources and used oppressive methods to maintain control. Even after African countries, such as Niger, gained independence, France continued to interfere in their politics and economies.
According to Gaya, despite exporting €3.5 billion worth of uranium to France, Niger only received €459 million in exchange. Despite uranium from Niger being used to power Europe for decades, the West African nation, one of the poorest in the world, has not benefited much from it. The repercussions in Niger goes beyond the political and economic implications.
Nigerian regulations mandate that miners should not be exposed to more than 20 millisieverts of radiation per year. According to Orano, the maximum radiation exposure at the mine site in 2022 was reported to be 8.6 mSv per year, as, telling the French news agency in March last year that"people live seven kilometres from the mines — everyone is very worried, people are sick”.