General Abdourahamane Tiani, head of Niger's military junta, announced that uranium produced by Somair, formerly controlled by Orano, will be marketed internationally despite a tribunal ruling prohibiting such sales.Orano, over 90% owned by the French government, initiated international arbitration and lost control of three subsidiaries, while
Niger sought new mining partners such as
Russia and
Iran, underscoring the strategic significance of
Niger's uranium sector.