http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7102357.stm
The entire population of northern
Niger's remote desert town of Iferouane has fled...
Spent a few days there in 2002. Wicked little town, now look... My
friend Larry who was with me comments -
"I don't think there are any uranium mines* close to
Iferou�ne. In
fact, the
carve-up of the traditional Tuareg lands for purposes of selling
uranium
prospecting concessions, which the national government did this
summer
without consultation with, or indeed the slightest regard for, the
local
population, all dealt with lands west of the Air Massif. I
don't think
there is any serious thought of mines in the mountains
themselves. The
closest place would be Arlit.
You may have noticed, however, that that same benevolent government
recently
sold off a concession to a Chinese company to start digging up the
land at
Azelik, on the piste east out of Agadez toward the Arbre du
T�n�r�.
I
suppose it's only a matter of time before the
T�n�r�
itself will be littered
with mining sites and detritus. When we were there last year
we came across
big Chinese vehicles laying out test sites for petroleum. I
read later that
they came up empty -- may all their adventures end the same
way."
* - He is correct. There aren't any.
Profile pic. Should you be interested. Lakhsen, on the right, lost touch with him.
Mohammed, on the left, I'm still in touch with. He's now living in Agadez, Niger. More focused on his animals now as tourism has dried up. Is active with a co-op promoting local goods, leather work and bijouterie, into Europe.
20/5/20