India signs new Pact with Niger over Uranium Mining.

by Uwe Paschen | December 3, 2008 at 12:48 am

1608 views | 28 Recommendations | 6 comments

By, Uwe Paschen.

India is now taking part in the Uranium exploitation in Niger. A new pact has been signed between the two countries.

India has just signed a contract with the Niger Government in Niamey to mine some of this Countries Uranium in the North of the Country in the Tuareg area where the MNJ of the Tuareg and Berber has been fighting the Government over the ongoing discrimination of the Tuareg people and the destruction of their land.http://my.nowpublic.com/world/end-tuaregs-niger-chad-mali-and-cameroon-algeria-and-libya

India along with China, Canada, France and the USA are taking part in a never ending bid over the control of the Uranium mines and Oil fields in Niger, this to the detriment of the local populations.http://my.nowpublic.com/world/chinas-cnpc-now-building-mega-refineries-niger-and-chad

The war for the control of the world fossil fuels is well underway for some time now, and this on the back of the poorest and most helpless of all. The USA, Canada, China, Great Britain, The Netherlands, France and now India, are targeting all uranium, Oil, Gold, Iron, Silver, and Gas as well.http://www.hindu.com/2008/12/03/stories/2008120355471400.htm

The Indian Company Earth stone will invest $50 Million over the next 5 years in the new Uranium exploitation in Niger. The permit given to India is for 2000 scare Kilometre of Tuareg Land around Arlit. This is the heard of the Tuareg land in Niger and close to Agades the largest city in that area.http://www.ft.com/world

Further Niger will provide added security with its armed force and the purchase of new military equipment from the USA that do already provide the training of the Niger Army as well as Weapon supply and some mercenaries.http://my.nowpublic.com/world/uranium-next-energy-crisis-may-cripple-western-nations-and-it-has-all-ready-started

There seems to be no hope for the Tuaregs and other minorities of Niger any longer and with the latest attempt of the Government to change the constitution in order to remain in power it does not look good for the future of Human rights and freedom nor democracy.

This in large part thanks to the ever growing hunger for cheep fossil fuels by the powers of the World that seem to have not regards them self for Human rights nor justice in countries they exploit.http://my.nowpublic.com/world/democracy-under-fire-within-niger-demonstration

Abstract.:

>> "Niger in EU Utilities Total Uranium Supply by Origin :(y2003)

Canada 15%, Australia 13%, others 4%, Russia 16%, RET 5%, HEU feed 6%, from inventories 14%, MOX 7%, Other Africa 3%, Central Asia & other CIS 5%

Source : adapted from ESA AR 2003

Niger 12% Secondaries dependant uponNon-EU sources

MiningSites & Regional Infrastructures

in the South of the Sahara Desert

Tchirozerine

Agadez, City of ARLIT, Imouraren, AKOKAN, Iferouane, Tamanrasset, COMINAK, Tahoua & Tchirozerine

History of Uranium Industry in Niger: born and grown with the country

1957: Discovery of uranium showings at Azelik by the “Bureau Minier de la France d'Outre-mer” 1958:Detailed study of the showings and airborne & field surveys by the French “Commissariat à l’Energie Atomique” December 1958: Creation of the Republic of Niger 1959: Discovery of Azelik andAbakorum deposits August 3, 1960: Niger Independance 1963: Discovery of the Madaouela deposit

1965: Discovery of Arlette, then Ariège, Artois, Taza, Tamou and Takriza 1966: Discovery of Imouraren

1967: Discovery of Akouta 1968: Setup of the Société des Mines de l’Aïr (SOMAIR) 1971: First commercial production in Arlit (SOMAIR) 1972: Discovery of Ebala 1974: Incorporation of the “Compagnie Minière d’Akouta” (COMINAK) 1974: Imouraren Joint Venture Agreement 1978: First commercial production in Akouta (COMINAK) 1979: Incorporation of the “Société Minière de Tassa N’Taghalgue” (SMTT) 1996: SOMAIR purchases SMTT assets 2002: Re-activation of exploration and development programs(TAGORA

project) 2006: Expected milestone; 100 000 tU of cumulated commercial uranium production in Niger

http://www.firsturanium.com/cws/projects/firsturanium/about_us_who_we_are.jsp"<<

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Amitjha

at 02:09 on December 3rd, 2008

india is energy hungry country, it needs huge reourse to serve its billion population.Hope this will helpo Niger people as well.

Uwe Paschen

at 03:28 on December 3rd, 2008

Unfortunately it will not help the people Amitjha, if you follow the links here and read up on what has been going on in Niger you will see that the Elite is getting richer and more oppressive and that the people are getting poorer and more oppressed.

Human rights are not respected, Democracy is not working, Corruption is out of control, Slavery still exist and Genocide or close to it is happening as well. Civilians are being killed by the Army wish is supported by mercenaries and the US as well as China and now India to. The UNO is silent since the Veto Powers are involved.

Amitjha

at 03:31 on December 3rd, 2008

Thats why i said "hope the contract will benifit the poorest", all the exploring countries can manage the affair, but they will not do anything for sure , because they know they can reap richer dividend in disturbed area.

Uwe Paschen

at 05:06 on December 3rd, 2008

Good point. Yet the Citizen of those countries could stand up to their respective Government and demand that their Business practices remain ethically and that their Governments put pressure on the Niger Government to respect Human rights and abolish Slavery as well as stop Killing Civilians and give the Minorities equal rights....

India could do so yet does not since the Uranium could go to another contender, so India as well as China and the US and other do not care if the Government of Niger commits Genocide.

Uwe Paschen

at 03:28 on December 3rd, 2008

There is much going on in the Uranium Mining in Niger.Uranium in Niger: India in the fray

Uranium exploration firms flock to Niger desert

Niger has granted a wave of permits to British, Canadian and Indian mining firms allowing them to explore for uranium in its desert north, the West African country’s government said on Saturday.

A total of 23 permits were granted to three Canadian firms, three British firms and an Indian company, enabling them to explore in the former French colony’s Arlit and Tchirozerine regions, vast swathes of land in the southern Sahara desert.

Canada’s Southampton Ventures Inc, Delta Exploration Inc and UraMin Inc., Britain’s COJ Commodity Investments Ltd., Agadez Ltd. and Indo Energy Ltd., and India’s Taurian Resources Pvt Ltd. between them pledged to invest some $55 million in exploration activities over the next three years.

Rising demand for uranium on international markets has renewed appetite for prospecting and mining in Niger, the world’s third-largest producer of the mineral but bottom of a U.N. development index ranking countries by quality of life.

The government is hoping the discovery of more deposits will again boost its economy, creating jobs and training, bringing development to some of its most remote communities, and raising tax revenues paid by foreign firms while they explore.

It hopes rising demand from fast-industrialising China, to whom it granted a series of exploration licences last July, means the industry will be sustainable in the medium-term.

The government has already granted around 70 mining exploration permits for its desert north, mostly for uranium, and around 100 more are currently under consideration.

If new exploitable reserves are discovered, the state of Niger will take a 40 percent stake in the projects, 10 percent for free, while it will pay for the remaining 30 percent.

DESERT BANDITS

Uranium is used as a nuclear fuel in power stations and atomic submarines and vessels, in the production of nuclear weapons and armour piercing bullets and in the aviation sector.

Rising demand saw spot uranium prices double last year on international markets, and a report by Deutsche Bank in January forecast they would rise by nearly 40 percent again this year.

Production in Niger - which also has reserves of iron ore, coal, copper, silver, platinum, vanadium, titanium and lithium, peaked at 4,366 tonnes in 1981 but has since fallen, standing at around 3,000 tonnes last year.

But the growing presence of foreign firms in one of the country’s most lawless regions is also catching the eye of Tuareg and Toubou nomads who have long complained of neglect and are demanding a share in the country’s natural wealth.

The light-skinned Tuareg and other northern tribesmen launched a full-scale rebellion against the government in Niamey in the 1990s and although peace deals were signed, the region remains a hotbed of resentment and is awash with arms.

Suspected Tuareg rebels last month attacked a uranium mine operated by a subsidiary of French mining group AREVA, more than 1,200 km northeast of Niamey near the border with Algeria.

The attack was the latest in a series of incidents on the ancient trade routes that criss-cross the Sahara, including the kidnapping of 20 European tourists last year, drugs and arms seizures and clashes with the army.

Uranium hunt: India strikes gold in Sahara