Africa's biggest uranium mine
     Areva's greatest achievement was on 4 May, when Nigerien President Mamadou Tandja laid the founding stone of a new uranium mine complex in Imouraren, in the country's north.
     This complex will be the largest in Africa and the second largest in the world, with a production capacity of 5,000 tonnes per year starting in 2012. The French multinational has invested $1.5 billion in the project: Two-thirds of the mining revenues will be kept by Areva, and one-third will go to the government of Niger – but the terms of the agreement have sparked the ire of local and international civil society groups.
     One of the most outspoken critics is the Nigerien organization Rotab, which has fought for many years for more transparency in the mining sector. The organization is particularly concerned about the health and environmental threats posed by the new mine.
     "The pollution from uranium mines has seriously affected the livelihood and health of our population," Rotab spokesperson Amadou Marou told ISN Security Watch.
     Areva, which has been extracting mineral resources in Niger for over 40 years, has always rejected these accusations, stating that most health problems are caused by the desert's harsh conditions and not by uranium mining activities. However, scientific investigations conducted by French organizations Criirad and Sherpa found abnormally high levels of radiation in soil, water and even in kitchen utensils made of scrap metal in close proximity to Areva's mines.
     "The mining sector can contribute to the eradication of poverty in our country, so we are not against it. But this agreement enriches France and a small elite in Niger, and seems to damage everyone else," said Marou. 
     Areva promised to spend €6 million ($8.1 million) in social programs over the next five years, to build schools and hospitals and to facilitate access to water resources, which is a major problem for populations living in arid areas such as north Niger.
     However, the Rotab spokesperson says that these programs should be a government responsibility, instead of a temporary donation by a private multinational taking away much of the nation's wealth.
     The increase of mining activities in the past years also provoked the armed insurgency of the Mouvement des Nigériens pour la Justice (MNJ), a rebel group of Tuareg nomads living in the uranium-rich areas in north Niger. Sarkozy's visit accelerated the peace talks and the MNJ signed an agreement with the government of Niger just one day before the construction of the Imouraren complex officially started. However, the peace deal does not seem durable in the long term, as the Tuareg rebels have refused to disarm and have already demanded higher shares of the future uranium profits.

Global competition
     Beijing has closely followed the development of the French mission in Niger and the DRC. China has 12 nuclear reactors under construction and another dozen slated for operation in the coming year, making it a leading player in the uranium market.
     The government of Niger moved to put an end to the French monopoly over uranium mines in 2006, granting over 100 exploration licenses to foreign companies, mainly Chinese, Indian and Canadian. The Chinese state-owned nuclear company obtained a prospecting contract in the Agadez region in 2007 and recently provided a $95 million loan to the Nigerien government for the implementation of a major uranium extracting deal. 
     The competition between China and France reached a peak in 2007 when then-chief of Areva operations in Niger, Dominique Pin, was accused of financing the Tuareg rebel insurgency. The government announced that all contracts with Areva would end, and that existing operations would be transferred to Chinese companies. After long negotiations between high-ranking French diplomats and the government, the parties agreed that Areva's contracts would be renewed in exchange for increased aid for the central government.
     The increasing global competition over uranium mines prompted the Nigerien government to push Areva for more during negotiations also in the latest agreements. As such, in order to obtain the contract for the Imouraren complex, the French multinational agreed to pay a considerably higher price for the uranium extracted.
     However, according to Rotab's spokesperson, Niger's bargaining power in these contracts is still extremely weak, and despite the higher price paid by Areva, the new contracts are unlikely to bring about any major benefits to development or poverty eradication in the country.

Corporate and social responsibility
     Areva maintains that 40 years of operation in Niger have contributed significantly to the country's development and that the group plays a central role in Niger's economy.
     In an official document released by Areva in January 2009, the company admits that "The expectations of the population and the communities are, frankly, huge" and that many programs of corporate social responsibility are hindered by local conflict and economic instability.
     However, Areva has built up infrastructure in many parts of the country and provided employment to thousands of households (the new Imouraren complex will create 1,400 local jobs). Moreover, the company emphasizes the success obtained in HIV prevention programs and the electrification of shantytowns in the Agadez region.
     The French nuclear multinational has rejected all criticism raised by international and local civil society groups, stating that it operates in Niger in the same way it operates in Canada, Kazakhstan, or formerly in France: by assuring the highest possible safety and environmental protection standards.