The coup in Niger puts French nuclear power plants at risk

Bobo-Dioulasso (Burkina Faso)The coup in Niger, led by General Abdourahamane Tchiani, head of the presidential guard of the ousted president, Mohamed BazoumThis has worried French President Emmanuel Macron, who convened an emergency Security Council meeting on a Saturday at 3:00 p.m. An unusual time, were it not for the fact that France needs uranium from Niger to operate the nuclear power plants that supply electricity to the entire country. "We will not tolerate any attack against France and its interests in Niger," Macron declared from the Élysée Palace. France is the leading nuclear energy power in Europe and the second largest in the world, after the United States. In fact, more than half of its production—64.67% of its total electricity—comes from nuclear power, according to data from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Uranium is the primary fuel in nuclear reactors. Niger is the fourth country in the world with the most uranium reserves in its soil. However, its production has decreased by almost half since 2013, when it produced 4,518 tons annually, to 2022, when it extracted 2,020 tons, according to data from the World Nuclear Association (WNA). The Arlit mine, in the Agadez region, one of the largest in the country, is operated by the French public-private company Orano, in which the French state holds a 45% stake. Another mine, Imouraren, is also of particular interest to Paris, which is thinking ahead. France needs 8,000 tons of uranium to fuel its nuclear power plants. Imouraren has the capacity to produce 5,000 tons annually for 43 years, but it has been shut down since 2015 "awaiting a more favorable environment." With control of Imouraren, the French government could supply more than 50% of its demand.

In 2001, France closed its last uranium mine. Since then, it has relied on imports for 100% of this essential material, which is used to generate 70% of the country's electricity. In 2020, a third of France's imported uranium (34.7%) came from Niger; Kazakhstan accounted for 28.9%, and Uzbekistan for 26.5%, according to the Euratom Technical Committee (the European Atomic Energy Community's agency).

The last ally in the Sahel

However, French and Western interest in maintaining control of Niger goes beyond economic ties and uranium supplies. This Sahelian country represents the last major Western ally in the region, after the military juntas in Mali and Burkina Faso expelled French policy from their countries and moved closer to Russia. A dynamic that is repeated in other parts of AfricaNiger had been the country where these military personnel were confined, and where France continued to operate in good harmony with the government.

That is why international reactions to the coup in Niger have been much more aggressive. While the three West African countries that suffered a similar uprising –Mali, Burkina Faso and Guinea—, were formally suspended from ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States). In the case of Niger, the coup leaders have been given a week to "restore constitutional order." Otherwise, ECOWAS says it does not rule out using "force."

Putin's hand

Doubts about the decisions that will be made in Niger and what the evolution of the coup led by Tchiani will be are also added Russian interference, which is gaining popularity in the Sahel against the WestIt's now commonplace to see protesters waving Russian flags and burning French ones. However, it's important to remember that Moscow is the world's sixth-largest producer of uranium, ahead of Niger, and a key player in the supply chain to European nuclear power plants, despite the limitations imposed by the invasion of Ukraine.

All of this contrasts sharply with the situation faced by the people of Niger. Although the country is a key supplier of electricity to Europe, according to the World Bank, only 18.6% of Niger's population has access to electricity. France has already suspended development aid and budget support to Niger until the "return of constitutional order."