An international arbitration panel has ordered Niger to halt any sale or transfer of uranium currently at the center of a high-stakes dispute with French mining group Orano, following the country’s recent nationalization of the Somaïr mine. The provisional measure from the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) temporarily restricts the government’s ability to dispose of contested uranium output and comes after Niger unilaterally revoked longstanding mining deals with its former colonial power.
Orano, which has operated in Niger since the 1960s and held a majority stake in Somaïr, initiated legal action as authorities in Niamey pursued the mine’s full nationalization and leveled accusations over contract non-compliance. The tribunal’s order, issued September 23, does not resolve the overall dispute, nor does it reverse nationalization, but it prevents the uranium stock—estimated at 1,300 metric tons and valued around 250 million euros—from being marketed while litigation continues. In parallel, the panel called for the release of Orano’s detained representative, echoing a July Nigerien appellate court decision.
The uranium row underscores a dramatic break in Franco-Nigerien relations since Niger’s July 2023 coup, with political control over the resource and revenue distribution now fueling broader tensions. France has long depended on Niger’s uranium for its nuclear fleet, while Niger argues decades of extraction have yielded limited benefit for its own population, pointing to widespread poverty in mining regions. Meanwhile, the closure of borders and breakdown in cross-border logistics have left the disputed uranium stranded in-country.
While the tribunal’s latest ruling grants Orano a tactical win on asset security, key questions on legal jurisdiction, national sovereignty, and future export revenues remain unresolved. With both sides entrenched and calls growing within Niger for new international partnerships outside the traditional Franco-African sphere, the dispute’s final outcome could reshape regional dynamics related to critical mineral supply and investment.
