2007年VOA标准英语-Marchers Demand That French Mining Company Leav

By Phuong Tran
Dakar
08 September 2007

Civil society groups are marching in Niger's capital Saturday to demand that the French nuclear energy company, Areva, quit mining Niger's uranium. The march comes after months of government accusations¹ that the company is supporting a rebellion in the northeast uranium rich Agadez region. But watchdog groups say the company's exit will not end the violence or improve Niger's troubled mining sector². Phuong Tran has more from VOA's West Africa Bureau in Dakar.

March organizer, Nouhou Arzika, president of the newly-formed Citizen's Movement for Peace and Democracy, says the French company Areva is an enemy of the state.

He says Areva should leave because it is supporting the rebellion and hiring mercenaries to help the rebels plant landmines³.

Earlier this year, Tuareg fighters in Niger's mineral-rich northeast renewed a decade-old rebellion to demand more royalties⁴ from uranium mining, a big source of Niger's revenue.

Government officials have accused Areva, the world's largest nuclear power firm which has had a four-decade lock on Niger's uranium mining, of funding the rebels in order to frighten off rival firms.

The Niger government recently lifted Areva's monopoly after expelling the company's local manager.

Rebel leaders and Areva have denied the rebel-funding allegations. The company has since increased the fees it pays the government and has pledged to improve mining practices, which lawyers say are harmful to the miners and the environment.

Niger's mining sector is not only tainted⁵ by accusations of harmful practices. There are also allegations of corruption⁶.

Ali Idrissa is national coordinator⁷ of a watchdog group that tracks Niger's compliance⁸ with the global Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, administered by the World Bank.

The initiative is a voluntary effort by mineral-rich countries to improve mineral and oil revenue tracking. Niger signed on two years ago and is in the process of deciding how best to comply.

The watchdog coordinator says rather than asking Areva to leave, the government should increase Areva's mining fees and publish the royalties.

Idrissa says if Areva does not exploit the reserves, another company will. And Niger will face the same problem of mineral wealth leaving the country.

Niger recently granted 30 prospecting⁹ and mining contracts to other countries, including China, South Africa and the United States.

The transparency group questions how the Niger government has spent an estimated $600 million in uranium mining royalties over 40 years.

The Secretary General of the Ministry¹⁰ of Mining and Energy, Abdoul Razack, defends Niger's handling of the revenues. Razack denies rebel allegations that the government has funneled¹¹ mining revenues into weapons and fighter planes. He adds that since 2005 the ministry has made its revenues publicly available, and will continue to do so.

Despite being the world's third largest producer of uranium with almost 10 percent of the market, Niger has the worst living conditions in the world, according to the United Nations.

The government recently declared a state of alert in the northeast.

At least 40 government soldiers have died in rebel attacks over the past seven months in the northeast. Tuareg fighters have also taken almost 40 people hostage. The government has refused to negotiate with the rebels until they end their violence.

1 accusations   

n.指责( accusation的名词复数 )；指控；控告；（被告发、控告的）罪名

参考例句：

• There were accusations of plagiarism. 曾有过关于剽窃的指控。
• He remained unruffled by their accusations. 对于他们的指控他处之泰然。

2 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

3 landmines   

潜在的冲突； 地雷，投伞水雷( landmine的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The treaty bans the use production and trade of landmines. 该条约规定，禁止使用地雷相关产品及贸易。
• One of the weapon's of special concern was landmines. 在引起人们特别关注的武器中就有地雷。

4 royalties   

特许权使用费

参考例句：

• I lived on about £3,000 a year from the royalties on my book. 我靠着写书得来的每年约3，000英镑的版税生活。 来自辞典例句
• Payments shall generally be made in the form of royalties. 一般应采取提成方式支付。 来自经济法规部分

5 tainted   

adj.腐坏的；污染的；沾污的；感染的v.使变质( taint的过去式和过去分词 )；使污染；败坏；被污染，腐坏，败坏

参考例句：

• The administration was tainted with scandal. 丑闻使得政府声名狼藉。
• He was considered tainted by association with the corrupt regime. 他因与腐败政府有牵连而名誉受损。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

7 coordinator   

n.协调人

参考例句：

• The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, headed by the Emergency Relief Coordinator, coordinates all UN emergency relief. 联合国人道主义事务协调厅在紧急救济协调员领导下，负责协调联合国的所有紧急救济工作。
• How am I supposed to find the client-relations coordinator? 我怎么才能找到客户关系协调员的办公室？

8 compliance   

n.顺从；服从；附和；屈从

参考例句：

• I was surprised by his compliance with these terms.我对他竟然依从了这些条件而感到吃惊。
• She gave up the idea in compliance with his desire.她顺从他的愿望而放弃自己的主意。

9 prospecting   

n.探矿

参考例句：

• The prospecting team ploughed their way through the snow. 探险队排雪前进。
• The prospecting team has traversed the length and breadth of the land. 勘探队踏遍了祖国的山山水水。

10 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

11 funneled   

漏斗状的

参考例句：

• The crowd funneled through the hall. 群众从走廊中鱼贯而过。
• The large crowd funneled out of the gates after the football match. 足球赛后大群人从各个门中涌出。