Two leading civil society organisations have taken legal action against the Akouta Mining Company (COMINAK) after the company abruptly halted the rehabilitation of its former uranium mine in Arlit, a move that activists warn poses serious environmental and social risks.
The Arlit Civil Society Coordination and the Synergy of Civil Society Organisations filed an urgent petition with the High Court of Arlit, challenging COMINAK’s decision to stop the redevelopment work and terminate all subcontractor agreements.
The company has cited “force majeure” as justification for its actions.
According to the plaintiffs, the decision has had immediate human consequences, including the dismissal of around 500 subcontracted workers without severance pay, along with the layoff of about 50 directly contracted employees as of April 30, 2025, on economic grounds.
Beyond the employment crisis, the organisations are raising alarm over what they describe as a looming environmental disaster.
“Nearly 20 million tons of radioactive waste have been left exposed, and all monitoring of the site has been suspended,” one source close to the case told Aïr Info.
Civil society leaders argue that the halted surveillance poses a severe threat to groundwater safety and the fragile ecosystem of the region.
COMINAK, a subsidiary of the French nuclear conglomerate Orano, ended uranium extraction at the site in March 2021.
At the time, it pledged to carry out a decade-long remediation project, with an estimated budget of 125 billion CFA francs. But since January 2025, all rehabilitation work has been on hold.
In a statement quoted by RFI, the company attributed the halt to “illegitimate interference” and a breakdown in dialogue with Nigerien authorities.
The court filing seeks to annul the company’s decision and force COMINAK to resume its environmental commitments. The High Court is scheduled to hear the case on May 9.
The outcome could set a precedent for how multinational corporations are held accountable for post-mining responsibilities in Niger’s extractive sector.
Source: AirInfoAgadez