Niger’s suspension of uranium and gold exports to France, which followed the military coup in the country, is a “response” to years of French oppression, Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said.
According to a report from the Turkish news channel NTV published on August 4, France’s actions in Algeria and Rwanda have left a mark on world history.
Amid the ongoing crisis in Niger, the Turkish president addressed the strained relations between France and its former African colonies, asserting that Paris had long oppressed them.
Erdogan stated: “This is not the first such case concerning France. Their practices in Algeria and Rwanda have entered world history.”
“They [the military in power since July 26] have stopped the export of gold and uranium to France, as a response to the oppression of these countries for years,” Erdogan explained, adding that Ankara is striving to maintain positive relations with African countries.
In response to the announcement of the export ban, the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs had previously said that France’s supplies of uranium were “extremely diversified,” and there were no French companies mining gold in Niger.
Niger is France’s largest supplier of uranium. France imported about one-third of its 6,286 tonnes of uranium from Niger (34.7%) in 2020, according to the Euratom Technical Committee (CTE). Niger, a former French colony, is the seventh largest uranium producer in the world by 2022, according to the World Nuclear Association (WNA).
Without Niger’s uranium, France would face the threat of power shortage as the European country generates more than 70% of its electricity using nuclear power.
The Nigerian military announced ousting President Mohamed Bazoum, who was democratically elected on July 26, 2021.
In the wake of the coup, West African countries have imposed sanctions and threatened military intervention if Niger’s coup leaders fail to reinstate Bazoum within a week, according to Reuters.
Supporters of the military have attacked the French embassy in Niamey, expressing their refusal to any potential interference from France, while the current military leadership announced that any military intervention in Niger will be considered a declaration of war.
Meanwhile, people in the country’s capital, Nyamey, have continued burning French flags and stoning the former French mission, prompting the police to use tear gas to attempt to disperse the crowds.
