Orano ceased exploiting uranium at the mine in 2021 due to
the depletion of reserves, but plans to operate in the country
to retrain workers and remediate the mining site for at least a
decade.
The spokesperson did not give details about the security
threat but said it occurred in a village halfway between the
border with Mali and Arlit, which lies some 800 km (500 miles)
to the northeast of the capital.
Vast areas of Mali's arid northern region, near Niger, are
controlled by armed militants linked to al Qaeda and Islamic
State who in the past have carried out attacks, raids and
kidnapped national and foreign workers in the area.
"In accordance with the procedures, and as a precautionary
measure, expatriates and missionaries, identified as potential
targets at the living base were evacuated under protection to
Niamey by plane," the spokesperson said, adding that they would
be returned in a few days once the threat was eliminated.
France redeployed most of its anti-terror troops previously
based in Mali to Niger last summer where they are helping the
Sahel nation tackle insurgents.
(Reporting by Boureima Balima
Writing by Bate Felix; Editing by Frank Jack Daniel)
NIAMEY, May 12 (Reuters) - French nuclear group Orano
has evacuated 18 expatriate workers from a uranium mining site
in Arlit, northern Niger, to the capital Niamey on Friday,
following a security threat, a spokesperson for the company said
in statement to Reuters.
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