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URANIUM MINING IN AFRICA
Nuclear Energy Threats
French nuclear group AREVA in Africa (Niger, Gabon, Congo DRC, South Africa, Namibia…)
Danger for Africa and for the world.
The world has been watching, with compassion and fear, the unimaginable catastrophic events
that have struck Japan, destroying all including tens of thousands of human lives.
Many infrastructures have been washed and borne away; and damaged by the most furious
natural catastrophes: earthquake and tsunami.
The earthquake and tsunami of March 11, 2011 at 240 km north of Tokyo, have destroyed all;
including the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant and have damaged its reactors provoking and
causing thus, contamination of water, crops, soil, air, food… at Fukushima, in several remote
areas in Japan and in some neighboring countries.
These terrible natural events and nuclear disaster are reminding the origins of the uranium fuel
in the nuclear plants. In this universal worry and responsibility, it is urgent to remember that
Africa remains one of the richest continents ( as far as natural resources are concerned ) of the
world. It is here, where the numerous mine reserves are found. These are gold, diamond,
copper, germanium, zinc, cobalt, coltan, uranium … and many other radioactive minerals.
Many nuclear plants in the world, undoubtedly, get much of their fuel of uranium from Africa;
especially from such countries as Congo DRC, Niger, South Africa, Namibia, Zambia, Gabon …
The rich naturals reserves of uranium attract the multinationals in Africa where they sign cheap
contracts (with no transparency, no debate in parliaments, no expertise, no tender procedure…
and in total secrecy and opacity ) with the African governments.
It is in this irresponsible way that the multinationals are being given the right to explore and to
exploit uranium in the African countries; without any sustainable and responsible policy to
protect nationals, local communities and their environments against radioactivity.
In the operations of these multinationals, there are records of no respect for human beings
dignity and their environment. Water, air, crops and livestock are being contaminated, polluted
and exposed to radioactivity. Women are giving birth to babies with horrible malformations as
consequence of having been in contact with the radioactive elements in food, water, air… etc
Indeed, the uranium extractive/exploitation activities are endangering Africa and its population.
In many reports, the Civil Society Organizations in Africa and in the world are alarming and
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urging the international community to take actions and to help stop the uranium irresponsible
exploitation programs in the continent; with all the convincing proofs of how dangerous such
activities are.
Here are some concrete examples of how Africa remains threatened by multinationals nuclear
programs:
Niger
In Niger, Greenpeace and other international organizations have been reporting regularly on
how AREVA, the French nuclear multinational is endangering the people and their environment;
as it is spilling hundreds ( over 200,000 of cubic liters ) of radioactive wastes at the AREVA SA –
SOMAIR uranium mine in the north of the country. This spill has damaged and contaminated
hectares of the community lands in Arlit and Akolan. And it is poisoning air and polluting water;
and affecting over 80,000 people in the area.
In this country, and in many others in Africa, people are extremely exposed to very high
uranium radioactivity. They become ill; and they die; with no much information on what is
happening to them.
The people in these areas are extremely poor while AREVA is making billions of dollars from
their natural wealth.
Gabon
In Gabon, AREVA uranium mining activities had started in 1961 and ended in 1999 because of
some financial hardship. This exploitation left many workers of various nationalities, including
French workers, with very serious health problems; and according to “Medecin du Monde”,
World Medical Doctors, this is the consequence of the high radioactivity they were exposed to
in the uranium mining at Mounana, 90 km from Franceville and 500km from Libreville.
Congo, DRC
In Congo DRC, the exploitation of uranium has been endangering the human beings for many
years. Whether artisanal, semi-industrial or industrial, the uranium mining has been destroying
and exposing peoples’ lives to radioactivity; as they are not protected properly and according to
the rules and norms. Because of poverty and misery, people go to mines to extract uranium ore
without protection. Men, women and even children, in total ignorance, touch and carry on their
heads the dangerous minerals to the buyers, who , them too, get contaminated by radioactivity
because they are not protected either.
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To export this rich uranium from Katanga ( whether artisanal, semi-industrial or industrial) the
product/ore is loaded on the trucks from the mining depots to the border, Kasumbalesa and
from Kasumbalesa through Zambia; and to final chosen destinations. Most trucks have no
appropriate uranium safety equipment. These trucks, full of uranium, take any possible routing
( itinerary in the Southern African region ) to the oceans ( Indian and Atlantic ) where they are
loaded on the ships and sent to different countries in need of building nuclear plants or
weapons. These uranium products leave dust and other unrecorded material radioactive
elements in the air and on the roads.
Our worry and fear are justified here when the same French nuclear group AREVA ( that has
been reported to be destroying peoples’ lives polluting air, drinking water and the environment
in Niger and Gabon) is being given, by the Congo DRC government, the right to explore and
exploit uranium on/and in all the Congolese soil. (See Agreement signed on March 26, 2009
between Congolese Mines Minister, Martin Kabwelulu and the AREVA President Madam Anne
Lauvergnon during the short and quick visit on the same day and date , with the French
President Nicolas Sarkozy in Kinshasa, Congo).
These are, indeed additional, strong and obvious threats for Africa. Before it is late, something
has to be done to stop this multinational from undertaking its nuclear projects in Congo DRC.
AREVA activities in Congo, will threaten and endanger the whole world.
It will destroy Congo the same way it is destroying Niger in Arlit and Akolan.
The Congo forest, which is one of the earth’s lungs, is going to be damaged by the
nuclear/radioactivity exploitation.
The River Congo that is still the environmental and ecosystem hope and pride, will be polluted;
and all the biodiversity (millions of species ) will be destroyed by AREVA.
AREVA uranium activities in Congo will affect Congo, Africa and the whole world.
The nuclear danger in Africa is a reality; whether from the mining stage (exploration, extraction
or exploitation ) and sites ( Niger, Congo DRC, Gabon, Zambia, South Africa… ) or on the
uranium utilization sites of nuclear plants ( South Africa, at Koeberg, near Cape Town in Westen
Cape province) people’s lives are permanently in danger. Fukushima Daiichi, in Japan has just
reminded the lessons that African Leaders need to learn, now. Or it will be late.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------www.google.com , AREVA in Africa, Greenpeace
ASADHO/Katanga, Uranium Shinkolobwe: From Artisanal illegal Exploitation to the Accord between DRC Congo
and French Nuclear group, AREVA
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Golden Misabiko
Human Rights Defender
Natural Resources Issues Expert
March 28, 2011
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------www.google.com , AREVA in Africa, Greenpeace
ASADHO/Katanga, Uranium Shinkolobwe: From Artisanal illegal Exploitation to the Accord between DRC Congo
and French Nuclear group, AREVA