The French group Orano announced in a press release that it had initiated an international arbitration against the State of Niger following the withdrawal of its operating license in Imouraren, on June 19, 2024.

Several months ago, Niamey returned to the public domain the license to exploit the Imouraren uranium deposit that the French group Orano had previously held. On Friday, December 20, a press release announced that the French uranium specialist Orano initiated “an international arbitration against the State of Niger”, which suspended the license to exploit a large deposit. According to the French group, this procedure “follows several months of mediation and conciliation attempts that have remained unsuccessful”. He believes that “the announcement of the withdrawal of permits took place when Orano had submitted to the State of Niger a concrete technical proposal allowing the Imouraren deposit to be developed as quickly as possible, and that work on site had resumed since