The ban on new mining licenses in the west African country of Niger is focused on new, small scale gold mining assets in the country and not on existing uranium mines, according to statements January 25 by the Niger government and Canadian uranium development company Global Atomic.

Global Atomic has said that neither its Dasa uranium mining prospect in Niger, owned by the company‘s Somida subsidiary, nor any other uranium project in Niger would be impacted by the government’s mining license ban. The Dasa project is still at an exploration stage and is not in production.