• Niger accuses Orano of storing 400 barrels of radioactive material near Arlit

• Orano denies any activity at the site and rejects responsibility for alleged waste

• Tensions rise as both sides remain locked in arbitration over uranium operations

Niger’s authorities have accused Orano of storing 400 barrels of radioactive material in Madaouela, near Arlit, where the French company previously operated uranium mines. Justice and Human Rights Minister Alio Daouda said on national television that Orano’s actions endanger local communities and amount to environmental damage and large-scale harm to public health.

Daouda said the government has taken steps to pursue legal action against the company and seek compensation for all losses. Orano told Reuters it holds no operating license for Madaouela and has never conducted activities there.

This is not the first time Orano has faced environmental pollution claims in Niger. In 2021, soon after the closure of the Akouta uranium mine (COMINAK), which it had operated for several decades, civil society groups in Arlit raised concerns about irregularities in site rehabilitation. Those concerns were echoed by the Commission for Independent Research and Information on Radioactivity, a French association founded after the Chernobyl disaster, which reported in recent years that uranium mining has had major effects on water quality.

The new accusations come as Niamey and Orano have been embroiled for months in a broader dispute over uranium operations. Niger revoked Orano’s license for the Imouraren deposit in June 2024 and nationalized its Somaïr subsidiary in June 2025. Somaïr operates the country’s only remaining active uranium mine.

These moves prompted Orano to seek arbitration before the International Center for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID). The tribunal issued provisional measures barring Niger from selling Somaïr’s uranium production, but the government announced this week that it will proceed with selling the stock on the international market.

Authorities have not yet said which courts they intend to involve in the new case against Orano, whether domestic courts or international bodies such as ICSID. However, Daouda said Orano has already refused to comply with rulings by Nigerien courts ordering the removal of several million tons of radioactive waste.

Emiliano Tossou