300 Tons of Uranium Ignite France-Romania Clash in Niger; Russia Demands Its Share

More than a thousand tons of Nigerien uranium have been stranded for months in Niamey, at the heart of a conflict intertwining French, Russian, and Nigerien interests.

While French company Orano holds firm to its rights over the shipment, Russia claims its share of the deal, Romania has entered the fray with an offer to buy 300 tons—a move that could trigger a new legal and political confrontation over the fate of the seized yellow cake in the Niger capital.

Documents obtained by magazine Jeune Afrique in collaboration with website MDMG Sahel reveal that Romanian state-owned company Nuclearelectrica formally expressed interest in purchasing the quantity, amid negotiations with Nigerien authorities that sources familiar with the talks say have advanced significantly.

However, the Romanian company denies having signed any agreement or set a price for the deal, while Orano warns it may resort to legal action against any party that seizes the contested uranium.

From Niamey to Bucharest: The Story of the Documents

On April 13, 2026, Cosmin Gheța, general manager of Romania’s semi-governmental Nuclearelectrica, sent a formal letter to the Niger government expressing his interest in buying 300 tons of uranium stored in Niamey.

One week later, Colonel Abarchi Ousmane, Niger’s Minister of Mines, responded warmly, welcoming the proposal and expressing his country’s desire to “diversify its partners” and “explore avenues of cooperation in supplying uranium to Romania and Europe.”

In May, Romanian delegations traveled to Niamey, and on the 14th of the month, the acting general manager of Feldioara—affiliated with Nuclearelectrica—sent a letter to Niger’s Sopamin company stating “firm and decisive interest” in purchasing 300 tons.

According to sources familiar with the negotiations who spoke to Jeune Afrique, the purchase agreement had been finalized. Yet Nuclearelectrica officially denied signing any deal: “No agreement has been concluded, and no price has been set,” the company informed the magazine in writing.

The Deal in Numbers

Mark Eshengr, a specialist on Niger’s uranium files, outlined the potential scale of the deal, telling the magazine: “In this type of negotiation outside the classical market, a 30% discount off the current price is customary.

He explained that “since a ton of uranium currently trades at around $190,000, if Nuclearelectrica secured it at approximately $133,000 per ton, the total transaction would amount to $40 million instead of $57 million in the conventional market. It would be an excellent deal for all parties involved.”

He added that Nigerien uranium is “a rare opportunity at reduced prices that no one would oppose. Romania is an EU member state and not subject to sanctions, and the International Atomic Energy Agency would be reassured by such a partnership.”

Russia Demands Its Share

Before the arrival of Romanian delegations, 1,050 tons of uranium had already been transported from the Somair mine near Arlit in northern Niger to Niamey in November 2025.

Government sources in France told Jeune Afrique that an agreement had been signed in July 2025 between the Niger government and Russian state company Rosatom for the full reserve purchase at $170 million.

The deal was never executed due to logistical and legal reasons, but Russia has not abandoned the file.

Abdou Bagui, analyst at MDMG Sahel, explains: “Russia negotiated over the yellow cake, arranged the convoy transporting it from Arlit to Niamey, and even took charge of guarding the stockpile at the airport; therefore, it demands a direct share of the proceeds from the sale of the shipment to Nuclearelectrica—or else it will block the export permit.”

Orano: We Will Legally Pursue Any Buyer

French company Orano, which was ousted from Niger following the 2023 military coup, still considers itself the legally entitled party to this uranium, arguing that its transport from the Somair mine was “illegal.”

It has launched multiple international arbitration proceedings. When contacted by Jeune Afrique, Orano stated it “retains the right to take any action, including criminal and third-party measures, should any entity seize this material in violation of its recovery rights”—a warning explicitly targeting any potential buyer, even within the European Union.

Romanian Need: Nuclear Power Without a Mine

Romania halted domestic uranium production in 2021 and now relies entirely on imports to fuel its nuclear reactors, which supply 20% of its electricity mix—a figure Bucharest aims to raise to 30% by 2032.

At the end of 2024, Nuclearelectrica signed a contract to build two new reactors at the Cernavodă plant, doubling its annual uranium requirements.

Currently, it depends primarily on Kazakhstan as a supplier, using the Trans-Caspian route to avoid Russia—a corridor described as “fragile amid geopolitical tensions with Moscow.”

How Will the Shipment Reach Bucharest?

The logistical challenge is far from simple, explains Hamed Nagadih, analyst at MDMG Sahel, outlining available scenarios: “The first possibility is transporting the uranium by land through Nigeria, which would require a memorandum of understanding or special transit agreement with Abuja, as ordinary customs transit permits are insufficient for such a large quantity of radioactive material.”

The second scenario is an air bridge between Niamey and Bucharest: seven to eight flights of Antonov An-76 aircraft, each carrying about 50 tons, at a cost ranging between $1.5 and $3 million—“and it would still remain an excellent deal.”