French embassy in Niger to close following expulsion of French forces
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France and Niger had severed ties as a result of the coup, and Paris has now made the decision to shut down the embassy.
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Supporters of Niger's ruling junta gather at the start of a protest called to fight for the country's freedom and push back against foreign interference in Niamey, Niger, August 3, 2023 (AP)
Relations between France and Niger have stagnated, reaching a complete breakdown after Nigerian army forces staged a coup against French ally and President Mohamed Bazoum and took power.
Inspired by prior coups in Mali and Burkina Faso, the Nigerois juntas called for the expulsion of the French ambassador and French troops from the country. Initially, France ignored the orders, but President Emmanuel Macron later announced that both the ambassador and troops would return to their country.
Following the coup, the French embassy filed a request to operate regularly, but the request was not by the Nigerois forces, yet to be confirmed by French authorities. However, it was confirmed that carrying out operations has been extremely difficult due to anti-French sentiments exhibited in the country.
On Thursday, France announced the closure of its embassy in Niger, as it can no longer fulfill its missions, according to diplomatic sources.
Niger suspends uranium and gold exports to France
In July, the Republic of Niger under the leadership of General Abdourahamane Tchiani, and supported by the people of the Republic, announced the suspension of the export of uranium and gold to France.
It is also worth noting that Niger, according to the World Nuclear Association (WNA), is the world's seventh-biggest producer of uranium. The WNA also confirms that Niger, in 2022, produced 2020 tU which would be considered just over 4% of world uranium output.
Uranium production in Niger used to occur mostly through a French majority-owned company called Orano, which owns 63.4% of Société des Mines de l’Aïr (SOMAÏR). The remaining 36.66% of this is owned by Niger's Société du Patrimoine des Mines du Niger, known as Sopamin.
In 2021, the European Union utilities purchased 2905 tU of Niger-produced uranium, making Niger the leading uranium supplier vis-a-vis the EU.
Read more: Niger junta accuses France of wanting to 'intervene militarily'
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