France has allegedly been buying uranium from Niger at just €0.80 per kilo and selling it for around €200 per kilo, making huge profits while Niger stayed poor. This uranium powers about 70% of France’s electricity through its nuclear plants, yet most Nigeriens live without reliable power. For decades, French companies like Orano controlled Niger’s uranium mines under unfair deals. In 2023, General Tchiani led a coup, removed President Bazoum, and demanded an end to these exploitative arrangements. He expelled French troops and pushed for Niger to control its own resources. Suddenly, the West labeled him a tyrant. But many Africans see this as hypocrisy—he wasn’t a problem when France was benefiting; only when he said “no more” did they call him a threat.
