Niger PM Tells UN: “Our Uranium Lit Europe While Our Cities Remained in Darkness — That’s Over”
According to a report by Al Jazeera on Monday September 28, 2026, Niger’s Prime Minister Ali Mahamane Lamine Zeine has used his address to the United Nations General Assembly to declare that his country is taking greater control of its natural resources and choosing its international partners on its own terms.
Speaking during the 81st UN General Assembly session on September 26, Zeine said Niger’s uranium had benefited European cities for decades while many people in Niger continued to lack reliable access to electricity.
“For more than half a century, Niger’s uranium has lit the cities of Europe while our cities have remained in darkness,” he said. “That injustice is now over.”
Zeine said Niger recovered control of the Société des Mines de l’Aïr (SOMAÏR) in June 2025 and intends to manage its uranium resources domestically. He said the country would continue selling uranium on international markets while complying with its nuclear non-proliferation obligations.
The prime minister also highlighted Niger’s changing network of international relationships, naming Togo, Türkiye, Morocco, Russia and China as countries that are among Niger’s “friends, true friends.”
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