Niger has revoked the operating licence of French company Orano at a major uranium mine, the company said on 20 June.

The move by the country’s ruling military junta targeted the Imouraren mine, which sits on one of the biggest uranium deposits in the world.

“Orano takes note of the decision by the Niger authorities to withdraw from its subsidiary Imouraren SA its licence to work the deposit,” Orano said in a statement.

It added that the move came despite its recent resumption of activities at the site in the northwest of the West African country, where France was the colonial power from 1900 to 1960.