Niger: Ghosts of Uranium | ARTE.tv Documentary
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- čas přidán 22. 05. 2023
- In northern Niger, the French multinational Orano, formerly Areva, has closed its first uranium mine after almost 50 years of operation. What will happen to the miners and their families?
In Akokan and Arlit, two towns totally dependent on mining activity, two years after the closure, employees and their families feel abandoned by the company and millions of tons of radioactive waste are still stored in the open air.
Instead of improving the living conditions of the population of one of the poorest countries on the planet, the uranium mines seem to leave behind a poisonous legacy.
The first uranium deposits were discovered by the former French colonial power at the end of the sixties in the Nigerien Sahara. To supply European nuclear power plants, the company Orano created two mines at the time, Somaïr and Cominak.
The region, which had only a few Tuareg camps, is changing: attracted by the sirens of uranium, tens of thousands of Nigeriens are flocking from all over the country in the hope of finding a job. Attached to each mine, two towns emerge from the ground: Arlit and Akokan. After nearly half a century of exploitation and once the uranium resources have been exhausted, the multinational decides to close the Cominak mine in 2021. It then promises to ensure the retraining of its 1,400 employees and to occupy mountains of radioactive waste resulting from the processing of uranium.
Two years later, the town of Akokan, which depended on the activity of the mine, is abandoned, former miners are still unemployed and the populations are worried about the effects of radioactivity on their health. A few kilometers away, the city of Arlit and its 140,000 inhabitants fear to suffer the same fate when the uranium veins of the other Orano mine run out.
While some European countries are relaunching their nuclear industry to respond to the current energy crisis, on the other side of the world, the populations of Niger are bearing the full brunt of the consequences of uranium mining.
Niger: Ghosts of Uranium | ARTE.tv Documentary
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caiu!!!
Nobody paid attention to this documentary it was put on CZcams 2 months ago and now see why Niger is today Arte the best documentary.
When Mali has hundreds of gold mines but no gold and France has no gold mines but is the fourth largest holder of gold in the world you can tell something is up
Africans unite ! Bob Marley was murdered for singing this song !!
@rykson161 he wasn't murdered, get your facts correct before you spew shit like that.
Mali has cars, but no car manufacturing plants. How did they get those cars.
@@grahamt5924from Ghana and Nigeria,and now that they hve their freedom with no puppet on power ,they can make their own things
@johnbobo3013 no human us independent, its an illusion
Malcolm X said if you are expecting love and help from your enemy, you are in bad shape.
Those are wise words
Tell it to tinubu and akufo "lip service" addo
@@ontheline3077Amen, leave all that material in the ground because you never know one day God is going to give it to future generations himself
France should be made accountable for the pain they have/are causing to their former colonies.
Just stop blaming everyone. Africa was barbaric and got colonized because of outdated culture. But what now happens in Africa is a good example that the preferential way was a slow and peacefull transition from colonialism without demolition of existing institutions. Africa had enough time to build paradise in last decades and the only party to blame is completely uneducated people who fall for populist idiotic ideas.
😂😂😂😂
@@alphaomega7310 and you find it funny???
@@siphephelomasondo9567 i think you overexagerate and you try to find a scapegoat as usual, come on colonialism hascended 59 years ago, but you haven t changed mentality since...
@@alphaomega7310 Usual?? Truth is what white people ( pink) what they did to African countries... the impact still shows... this is one of it
notice how MSM mentions none of this when discussing the coup in Niger.
Of course. These are the things that pay their salaries
Yup because the entire West including USA benefits from the theft of Africa's resources
This is what Bazoom needs to watch including France ,it's a very touching sad story not far from crime against humanity,thanks for highlighting this professionally 🙏
And u think they don't know Bazoum was a law maker in 2010 when the military took over tanger gorverment Bazoum was celebrating and supported the coup now is the other way round
France with its Democracy is defender of Human Rights ...all bullshit that comes with the western " World Order " .
This is an atrocity so to speak, look at how families are losing their members due to environmental degradation from radioactive materials? Where are these French thieves?
When you see a white U C a thief murderer and everything evil
@@usmanjohn3267 Business can still go on with " a win win" but the safety of the inhabitants in that environment should be their priority
This France doesn’t care about the life of our people, but God will give us strength to continue the fight against them 😢😢
Imagine stealing from the people, paying them peanuts and building a hospital and thinking it’s fair🥺
It's not even a hospital. It's their operation to keep the real health data hidden .
I support the recent coup if it ends such exploitation. Just don't switch one exploiter for another.
What exploitation? Blame only africans for their stuріdіty.
that's the key point. do not switch exploiters put local people first.
Too late. Wagner in the house
If a mine couldn't change their livelihoods, how can melons? If the melons were planted 3 weeks before the visit of the journalists, who doesn't realise, it was just for the cameras?
I am from the Caribbean, and as such Africa is in my heart, they continue to exploit mamma earth, and exploit all indigenous peoples of this earth. We will forever fight for freedom. For quality of life.
But you doing nothing about it
All Africa should stand with Niger 🇳🇪. What French did to that small nation is unacceptable.
Niger is huge
What? 95% africans did to themselfes.
@@grahamt5924incredibly poor, despite all the riches in their soil. You understand neo-colonialism?
@classics39 Niger is a desert. How can they be rich. They are also land locked, which is another difficult hurdle to overcome.
@@grahamt5924you are everywhere in the comments. Im so happy that th West is filled to the brim with migrants.
You are being replaced "bruh", good luck..
This man said he got a 3 DAY training camp in IT! Something people go to 4 year colleges for! They played these people like a fiddle.
Funny....😂😂😂
The leadership of that nation or region should have set the ground rules and had the means to back it up. They know that the African people don't have a large enough "stick". Not only that, the leaders are corrupt. They get bought off. Who's this Recoche following the camera crew to clean up this French PR mess.
This the reason why they're fed up and want their freedom.
I guess the doctor was given a call before the investigation team arrived after all the hospital is still provided support by France.
Of course! The level of corruption is appalling.
And the president is now a prisoner
Good Africa ❤
Next Coup 👉 Cameroon 🇨🇲
Great Report!
My slogan: France out of Africa!
Yes. Burn, loot, deindustrialize, etc. Could you please take back all uncivilized migrants as well. Save them from horrible Europe.
Countries of Europe give knowledge of morality to others and see their hypocrisy in Africa itself.
Bla bla bla
Bazoum turned blind eyes. No wonder why he’s sequestered by the military.
Bazoum a fermer les yeux sur tout cela. Pas étonnant qu’il soit aujourd’hui dans les mains des militaires. Bienfait pour lui. Il n’aime pas sa population
Thank you for keeping this documentary online, sadly the french original version isn't anymore.
It would be very instructive for all french people currently wondering why are french flags burned in Niger right now (apart from the fact that maybe we colonised this country).
Because nigerians want to bе fuскеd uр by russians and chinese this time?
That is not that surprising. Our country is one of the best when it comes to propaganda or censorship.
You can still activate the auto-translate option and choose French as language.
@kamiyahlee4626 French people of nigerian or african origins do, but most don't. Our colonisation history is almost never taught at school, I learned about all of that vert recently
...
@@moi1161 phoque but in what world are you living in? J'ai vécu la bas mes 15 premières années. Je me souviens pas t'avoir vu
This is so sad.
Through and with these drum beats , I can hear the disparate crys of my forefathers via slavery and present day oppression. " We Africans must fight if we find it nessasary and we must be confident in the victory of good over evil".Bob Marley.
Africans enslaved themselfs. Just look in a mirror. Both slave and someone who enslaved.
The white man must be chased out of the continent 😮.
Show us the labs where the tests are conducted, the methods of testing and peer review research from organizations that don’t have of a conflict of interest.
People in america working in coal mines die from diseases but mining radioactive materials had had no death for the last 50years.
You can cover it up with clay but when it rains the underground reservoirs get contaminated.
Gilles Ricoche' should be brought to justice
It’s a shame what these large French corporation do to these small African countries…One day they will be held accountable.
Russia has stolen the lot the racists got u 😅
Its whats make our luxury lives in Europe possible. Mining in Afrika also makes western healthcare possible.
Who will hold them to account? Africans are not willing to do what’s necessary to hold folks accountable.
@@robertpedersen6831 what a load of BS
Africa is literally made to be safer and no leader who stands up for Africa . But we're blessed with robbers , looters and corrupters.
The frustration will led them into crime and conflict especially when some bigger or richer companies take advantage of their economic hardships.
The government needs to be careful and intervene very fast
They treat us just like dogs😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢
😂😂😂😂they extract uranium to generate electricity in their countries but you cannot use your own uranium for your own electricity...😅
' Arte ' Your Work Always Revealing..
Richest Countries in Europe For the Most Part Are Enriched By Africa's Resource Wealth..
China - Usa Also..
LOL. don;t you know? we all have shares in mining companies, and we are all minor CEO's
yes because they don't pay the people that were working here for 50 years, and they didn't even provide free housing too...
@@vladnickul good for you guys. European company gives shares to its citizens while original people remain poor.. No fair at all..!
Last week we received 6k € because its summer and we all need a vacation.
A lot of these problems are due to the borders set by western colonial empires. The greatest task is to positively re draw the borders of the Sahal. The USA and euro presence,with the drone force is not about helping countries develop.
We humans are so selfish...why would you take from these people and not give back to them????
Is the closer of the mine good news or bad news? What is the video trying to say?
Whining. Promoting a victim mentality. Dialectical materialism requires class conflict.
It is trying to say several things all at once:
the mining companies should have cleaned up the waste left by their activities,
the mining companies shouldn't have destroyed the town and shut off water and electricity when they left, essentially rendering the town uninhabitable
the employees' treatment upon closure of the mines was wanting. The employee safety standards of the mines during operation were probably wanting too.
and a few other things.
Bravo pourquoi les gens portent des masques pour une petite balade et pas les habitants permanents?
Cover it up to poison the ground water ! Make her live there
The subtitles are too small.
My Goodness 😢😢
How to neutralize radioactive particles.
Mushrooms
I lived there for two weeks
Ok
@@rd8370😂😂😂😂
No more exploitation ❌🎈
The Largest Deposit and Poor!!
💔🖤
Poor people
Why are we seeing none black people sorting out land problems
Africa has 1 nuclear power station and they have uranium china are building 55 power stations this year on top 30 they have 😅
The crazy part is that it is france that is providing China the uranium and guess where france steal it from ?
Post-colonial African leaders have love to stick with the West who gives them almost nothing. Africa needs other partners who will give value in return for Africa's resources. The West is too greedy to ever want to do that.
How can one be so wicked and greedy, shame on France
Ohhh Africa....
My PEOPLE my CONTINENT I cry tiers 😢😭😭😭
Go build some gardens and get loans to grow food and export food ! Is the land poisoned ?
Africans are not allowed to grow food for export, can you believe that. The as I you can see is not good plus global warming, not enough rain.
Abdourahmani Tchiani should represent this to the United Nation.
😢👎😕🤔 back stabbers, double crossers 😢. Really melons 😕. Truly just unbelievable 😵💫🤔 WOW
Africa you are in bad shape
Now miners to work as market gardeners - what a ridiculous project. They do not give a damn.
Humanity is something these corporations know nothing about; and they simply don't care!
Is to much injustice....
Is this what you call a town in Niger 🇳🇪? Is it expensive to paint those buildings?
Switching from French overlords to Russian overlords will change everything! LOL
Not funny but very sad
@@ThamiNdlalane it’s hilarious. They blame outsiders but invite more outsiders. Personal responsibility is not in the local lexicon
Hey ppl, what was meant by Marie Antoinette when she says let the people share the cake, i dont think she was saying stealing.
😮 and now the junta has taken over.
Most Western citizens have no idea what their evil governments are doing to African countries. This is why Judgment Day is necessary. Those who think money is everything and won't mind doing whatever it takes to get what they want need to pay.
It's more complex than that. Modern life has enabled over 8 billion to have sufficient food. Many more will die when we start running out of resources
I mostly see africans in africa. In 90% only you to blame.
Believe they know and don't care!!
@@asanwa3126 bla bla bla. You sound like a small child.
No its not
This Metall can be the End of Humanity in Future History of Humanity!? 🤔🤐🤐🤐
Reason Bazoum was overthrown?
Watching this after the coup, seeing why the people are fed up
@freeAfricafromFrance
You taken their mineral RAW URANIUM AND THEY'RE POOR FOR EVERYTHING HHHHHHHHH
Those levels of radioactivity are harmless.
Harmless radio active u must be mad
But she is wearing mask
@@Ahmednur9765 Natural radioactivity in Iran and Brazil are much higher and there is no epidemic of cancer observed.
WTF???!!!!
!!!!!
is it that colonialism has not seized?
Yes
Look at the condition the people living in and bazoum don't give a damn, but he is complaining about his living condition condition omg talking about no water or electricity when the people been living without electricity or water for years,he is merciless.
Id be curious to see what the readings are with that guys gieger counter on those piles of tailings.
Africa is waking up. Go for those French imperialists to run!
Europeans, no redeeming qualities. Soulless.
As European I agree, most don't care, not even for their own citizens. Those who speak up like me are hated and persecuted. We got to take down the industrial capitalist complex.
Well , there aren't 2 million slaves in Europe, like there is in Africa ,vile,evil. vicious Africa.....Africa has always been a continent of slavers and raiders. This is why they can't do anything without foreign help. CHina and Russia will eat Africa.
And round and round the hatred goes. Where it stops... Well, we all know the answer to that.
@@peterclarke7240it stops when the exploitation stops
@peterclarke7240 you should ask yourself. Because you are the spreaders of hate and destruction worldwide. And, it'll never stop for me. There's no reason to like you.
Why don’t the just move on like the rest of the city
Exactly like the covid vaccine …. All safe
They should ship it back to France and Tyra’s them in fancy boulevard
This is criminal
These people words mean nothing
Valentino54
It is Ecowas ..... Entity, Colonial , Organism, willing to, Amplify, Slavery. representatives of colonialism
2:08 yeeeeee/ yeeeeeee🤪🤪🤪 french out of Africa 🌍
These French colonial countries should scrap the french language also . I dont understand what they are saying .😂
WE TALK ABOUT HOW WICKED THE WEST HAS BEEN TO AFRICANS SOME PEOPLE THINK WE ARE JUST BITTER , HOW CAN YOU DO THIS TO FELLOW HUMANS WHY?? NOW FRANCE SHOULD GO AND MINE AGAIN AND LET SEE!
It will be closed forever, including French colonization is going back to Europe. compensation case will open soon
Shame
Don’t go mining if you don’t want to mine. If they take away the mine, what will you do??? Die in 14 days?? No. You’ll get another job.
Just like in Canada. You move, and start over. There are abandoned mining towns in Canada.
Where do you move to when the whole this was set up for European/ it was done on purpose to keep those people in poverty!
@@cassiepeters8940 is there poverty in places that don’t have mining? Yes. Poverty in Africa is due to mismanagement by the governments that Africans elect.
You elect people based on personal popularity, not the policies they want to implement. No one knows how to assess a politician’s promises.
So what do they ALL do? They promise lies.
All that is France responsibility
Now they r talking about democracy
Let's see how it will go with the russians or chinese now, they will surely invest in safety an hazard protection... 😂😂
Huh
It's worth a try the west is obviously a vicious wicked demon
It is their prerogative and right to decide who they want to do business with. The west had its chance after all they did " business" with them for decades.
Not on your life & they will be infinitely worse.
@@godfreyberry1599 i know, it was a sarcastic statement
Young people can't be farmers...meanwhile there are many rich farmers all over the world. In Niger, I guess city boys can't be farmers. Why? Because they have a degree? Well...continue.
You think they will assist the region with irrigation and fertiliser and investment in agriculture?
What is in it for them? They have cashed out already and what you see is a carefully constructed PR job
If they become farmers, the will not be able to exploit on the Uranium fields. Farming is almost non-existent or cannot support a livelihood.
I will never spend a dollar on anything French
This is a consequence of excessive breeding. Life costs nothing when there is no work and everyone is pressured by overpopulation. But yeah, go on.
They are not animals they are not bred.
In this case it's correct synonim to reproduction. No need to play the racism card when you have no arguments. Smart humans don't get children when they are in terrible conditions. I can only call this breeding as these people decide to get 5+ children when they are in poverty, no job, no food, possibly in a war zone. Their life consts 0 only because of their decisions in life, not some French colonialists.
It's true the french should stop breeding, the resources of Africa can no longer support them.
Such an arrogant, ignorant comment !
@@BCSTS Any non-arrogant non-ignorant arguments? Literally, they would live so much better knowing how to plan families. The fact is fact, and its not changing only because you think it is ignorance or arrogance.
And putin no racist😂😂
No is not and he also has african ancestors...
I lived there for two weeks