Leaked diplomatic letters reveal African uranium mining,
research and security as an exploitation sham and nuclear
smuggling racket.
Some African uranium is being smuggled across borders and overseas, to the economic, development and health peril of the continent.
Wikileaks cables raise the possibility that the developed world's companies and agencies may be insincere in some of their 'uranium for nuclear power technology' exchange deals.
Leaks reveal that USA diplomats in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Tanzania, Niger, Burundi, and elsewhere, knew of poor safety and security conditions in local uranium and nuclear facilities, reports IPS.
Leaked cables also highlight the involvement of European, Chinese, Indian, and South Korean companies in the illegal extraction and smuggling of uranium from Africa. Most European nuclear reactors use uranium imported from African countries.
Already in 2006, USA diplomats in the DRC capital Kinshasa reported a tour of Kinshasa Nuclear Research Centre (CREN-K), where two nuclear reactors, research and training are housed. Neither reactor is functioning, but uranium and nuclear waste on site included 138 nuclear fuel rods, 15kg of enriched and non-enriched uranium, and 23kg of nuclear waste.
CREN-K external and internal security is lacking, the fence has several holes, and the materials are 'vulnerable to theft', wrote Roger A Meece, USA ambassador to DRC. Subsistence farmers grow manioc on site, next to the nuclear waste storage building. An International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) contractor used a Geiger counter to detect elevated levels of radiation in the manioc plot.
CREN-K fence is not lit at night, does not have razor wire on top, is not monitored by cameras, while buildings lack sophisticated locks, intrusion alarms, motion detectors, and video surveillance systems. Site entrance is uncontrolled.
The fuel rod storage room with nine unused fuel rods, was unlocked, and fuel rods were not kept in a separate locked container.
Illegal forest miner
In 2007, ambassador Meece reported that Malta Forest Company was illegally mining and exporting uranium from the DRC, mining uranified uranium rock while mining copper and cobalt, exporting ore and 'circumventing radiation testing by using an established system of corrupt government officials'.
Foreign companies buy ore and refine it abroad to separate uranium, copper, and cobalt. Malta Forest appears to be exporting copper and cobalt.
In 2006, Finnish companies Opolo Chemicals and Konkola Chemicals, told the IAEA that they imported one ton of uranium from DRC, while DRC claimed that it did not export uranium in 2006.
High levels of radioactivity have been measured in numerous regions of the DRC. All of Katanga province, the southern province, 'could be said to be somewhat radioactive', Meece reported.
In 2007, Luiswishi mine, 20km northwest of regional capital Lubumbashi, a scientific commission from Kinshasa found "dangerously high levels of radiation at Luiswishi mine" while the mine operator 'suppressed' this fact to continue operations. The operator is South Katanga (CMSK), predominantly owned by Malta Forest Company.
The USA diplomatic letter also refers to corruption in other Congolese uranium mines, operated by Chinese and South Korean companies, staffed by artisanal diggers, who work by hand.
Wikileaks reveal smuggling uranium and other radioactive material in Tanzania, Burundi, Niger, Portugal, and Georgia.
African uranium smuggling racket
Leaked diplomatic letters reveal African uranium mining, research and security as an exploitation sham and nuclear smuggling racket.
Some African uranium is being smuggled across borders and overseas, to the economic, development and health peril of the continent.
possibility that the developed world's companies and agencies may be insincere in some of their 'uranium for nuclear power technology' exchange deals.
Wikileaks cables raise the
Leaks reveal that USA diplomats in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Tanzania, Niger, Burundi, and elsewhere, knew of poor safety and security conditions in local uranium and nuclear facilities, reports IPS.
Leaked cables also highlight the involvement of European, Chinese, Indian, and South Korean companies in the illegal extraction and smuggling of uranium from Africa. Most European nuclear reactors use uranium imported from African countries.
Already in 2006, USA diplomats in the DRC capital Kinshasa reported a tour of Kinshasa Nuclear Research Centre (CREN-K), where two nuclear reactors, research and training are housed. Neither reactor is functioning, but uranium and nuclear waste on site included 138 nuclear fuel rods, 15kg of enriched and non-enriched uranium, and 23kg of nuclear waste.
CREN-K external and internal security is lacking, the fence has several holes, and the materials are 'vulnerable to theft', wrote Roger A Meece, USA ambassador to DRC. Subsistence farmers grow manioc on site, next to the nuclear waste storage building. An International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) contractor used a Geiger counter to detect elevated levels of radiation in the manioc plot.
CREN-K fence is not lit at night, does not have razor wire on top, is not monitored by cameras, while buildings lack sophisticated locks, intrusion alarms, motion detectors, and video surveillance systems. Site entrance is uncontrolled.
The fuel rod storage room with nine unused fuel rods, was unlocked, and fuel rods were not kept in a separate locked container.
Illegal forest miner
In 2007, ambassador Meece reported that Malta Forest Company was illegally mining and exporting uranium from the DRC, mining uranified uranium rock while mining copper and cobalt, exporting ore and 'circumventing radiation testing by using an established system of corrupt government officials'.
Foreign companies buy ore and refine it abroad to separate uranium, copper, and cobalt. Malta Forest appears to be exporting copper and cobalt.
In 2006, Finnish companies Opolo Chemicals and Konkola Chemicals, told the IAEA that they imported one ton of uranium from DRC, while DRC claimed that it did not export uranium in 2006.
High levels of radioactivity have been measured in numerous regions of the DRC. All of Katanga province, the southern province, 'could be said to be somewhat radioactive', Meece reported.
In 2007, Luiswishi mine, 20km northwest of regional capital Lubumbashi, a scientific commission from Kinshasa found "dangerously high levels of radiation at Luiswishi mine" while the mine operator 'suppressed' this fact to continue operations. The operator is South Katanga (CMSK), predominantly owned by Malta Forest Company.
The USA diplomatic letter also refers to corruption in other Congolese uranium mines, operated by Chinese and South Korean companies, staffed by artisanal diggers, who work by hand.
Wikileaks reveal smuggling uranium and other radioactive material in Tanzania, Burundi, Niger, Portugal, and Georgia.
|BACK| COMMENT | OTHER 1| 2 |