In July 2023, the Nigerien presidential guard executed a coup against President Mohamed Bazoum, and General Abdourahamane Tchiani declared himself the leader of a new military junta. It was the fifth successful military coup in Niger since it gained independence from France in 1960  —  but the first to take on the country’s former colonial power. In late 2024, the government seized operational control of Somaïr, a uranium mine under the ownership of the French nuclear company Orano. At full capacity, Somaïr supplied about 15% of Orano’s uranium.

Though Niger is a relatively small producer of uranium, generating just 5% of global output, it meets a quarter of Europe’s demand. But this means little to the average Nigerien: 52% of the country’s population lives on less than $2.15 per day. Orano might power electricity in France, but fewer than 20% of people in Niger have a regular electricity supply.

As a result, the presence of Orano in the country has long been a sore spot for Nigeriens who believed they were getting a raw deal from France for their precious resource. In 2021, the uranium mine Cominak, a joint venture between Niger and the French national company Areva NC, closed down, leaving large-scale unemployment in its wake.