Niger's ruling junta says it will nationalize the controlling share of Somair, one of the country's most important uranium mining ventures, in a fresh escalation of its dispute with the French company Orano. The move was announced on national television and was justified by the junta as a response to what it called irresponsible, illegal and disloyal behavior by a company it described as hostile to Niger.
The company at the center of the dispute is not small. Orano is 90 percent owned by the French state and holds a 63 percent stake in Somair, while Niger's state-run Sopamin controls the rest of the venture. That ownership structure matters because it shows the nationalization is aimed at a major foreign-backed strategic asset, not a minor local concession. Uranium has long given Niger international importance, and this decision puts that role back into the political spotlight.
The wider backdrop is the deterioration in relations since Niger's 2023 coup. The source says the military takeover damaged ties with Paris and led France to pull back its troops from the Sahel country. It also says Orano was shut out of operations in three key mines in 2024 after the coup, as anti-French sentiment rose sharply in the former colony. The nationalization announcement therefore looks less like a one-off decision and more like the next step in a longer break with France.
The ruling junta framed the move as an act of sovereignty. That language is important because it places the dispute in the same category as other post-coup measures taken by governments that want to reassert control over strategic resources and reduce dependence on former colonial powers. In Niger's case, uranium is especially sensitive because it sits at the intersection of revenue, foreign policy and national pride.
The source does not include Orano's immediate response or the legal steps that will follow. It does, however, make clear that the junta's position is hardening. By nationalizing the controlling share, the government is signaling that it no longer accepts the current ownership arrangement as legitimate. That is a major escalation for a sector that has long depended on foreign capital and technical expertise.
The practical consequences will be watched closely. Any move to nationalize a key mine raises questions about operations, exports, compensation and international arbitration. None of those details are settled in the supplied report, but the political direction is unmistakable. Niger is moving from confrontation to direct control.
For Paris, the development is another reminder that the post-coup Sahel is not simply less cooperative. It is increasingly prepared to redefine the rules of access to its resources. For Niger, the test will be whether sovereignty over Somair can translate into stable production and revenue.
