Niger has announced that it has taken back control of the Imouraren uranium mine, one of the largest in the world, by revoking the operating license of French nuclear fuel producer Orano. The government stated that Orano had failed to fulfill its commitments despite receiving two formal notices. Orano has acknowledged the license withdrawal and expressed its intention to challenge the decision. The Imouraren mine is estimated to hold 200,000 tonnes of uranium. The military rulers of Niger, who seized power in a coup in July 2023, have pledged to review mining concessions in the country and have severed ties with France in favor of closer relations with Russia. In 2022, Niger supplied approximately a quarter of the natural uranium used by European nuclear power plants. [76fb4fee] [18fd1c23]