War in Mali – to preserve France’s control of uranium resources?

French mining company Areva, had lost its almost complete exclusive right to Niger’s uranium. This could easily explain why France could not afford to lose Mali as well.

On Monday, French foreign minister Laurent Fabius said… Key interests were at stake for us, for Africa, for Europe, so we had to act quickly,” said Fabius. Could one of the key interests mentioned by Mr. Fabius be uranium?

Uranium is indeed France’s key energy resource… , the country is heavily dependent on uranium..

Mali: France’s Neo-Colonial War for Uranium? News Junke Post, By Gilbert Mercier 15 Jan 13 In late December 2012, the United Nations Security Council approved the dispatch of an “African-led intervention force” to Mali’s to help the army reconquer the north of the country from Tuareg separatists and their allied Islamist militants. But in recent days, it is not the African-led troops who have been operating in Mali. Instead, troops from former colonial power France have been unilaterally deployed to fight the rebellion in the north….

Recipe for a failed state

Soon after the coup against Toure, France and ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States) set up a strange and dysfunctional governing triumvirate, with a prime minister, president and one representative of the army, which the French authorities themselves have described as “the least bad solution.” The three elements of power have not been able to agree on anything, from the constitution to a coherent strategy to deal with the rebellion in the north……

Neo-colonialism: France’s enduring West-African legacy

While former colonial power France has championed West Africa’s independence in words since 1960, the former imperial power’s actions have continuously undermined this independence. For more than five decades, France has maintained a neo-colonial relationship called “FrancAfrique” with all of its former colonies, including Mali. Paris has cultivated this dependency by militarily shoring up hand-picked regimes in exchange for prime access to resources.

In an article titled “Financial Enslavement of West Africans by France,” Antoine Roger Lokongo explains in great detail how a terrible bargain was forced by France on the newly independent West African countries. This pact, which keeps West Africa under the thumb of France, was negotiated under the supervision of Mr. Jacques Foccart. The deal, called “Pacte Coloniale,” maintained France in control of all the key components of the new African states in all aspects of politics, the economy, and of course, the military.

Mali: France’s war for uranium passing for war on terror?….. The current problems of the Tuareg rebellion and French intervention in Mali could be linked to uranium. Stefan Simanowitz wrote in 2009: “A key reason that the government in Mali and Niger are not keen to give the Tuareg greater autonomy is that the areas that they inhabit are home to vast natural resources with the world third largest uranium reserves as well as substantial oil reserves.” He pointed out that French mining company Areva, had lost its almost complete exclusive right to Niger’s uranium. This could easily explain why France could not afford to lose Mali as well.

Uranium is indeed France’s key energy resource…. ,

France’s civilian nuclear program started its brisk development in the 60s. According to the World Nuclear Association, over 75 percent of France electricity is produced from nuclear energy, and France is the world largest net exporter of electricity with a revenue of more than 3 billion Euro a year. France ( through the company Areva) is also very active in the development and export of nuclear reactor technology. Despite the fact that about 17 percent of France’s electricity is produced from recycled nuclear fuel, the country is heavily dependent on uranium…… http://newsjunkiepost.com/2013/01/14/mali-frances-neo-colonial-war-for-uranium/