VOA标准英语2008年-Niger Renews Mining Deal With Nuclear Giant Are

By Jade¹ Heilmann
Dakar
14 January 2008

The government of Niger has renewed its agreement with French uranium mining company Areva, fixing uranium prices and sealing a deal for the largest-ever investment in Niger. Niger's uranium-rich northern region is also the site of an uprising of nomadic² Tuareg rebels who demand a larger cut from uranium profits. Jade Heilmann has more from our West, Central Africa bureau in Dakar.

The French industrial giant Areva has renewed its uranium mining agreement with Niger.

The agreement has fixed³ uranium prices for the company's existing Cominak and Somair mines for the next two years. The price Niger sells uranium to the mining company will increase by about 50 percent.

The terms of the deal also give the company a go-ahead for a new mining project in Imouraren, which is planned to begin in 2010. This is projected to be the largest investment in Niger history.

Yves Dufour, a spokesman for Areva, says the two mines already operating in Niger are coming to the end of their lifespan and it was therefore very important to renew the deal. He adds it was also important for Niger to negotiate a price that reflected recent worldwide uranium price increases.

The spokesman says the large Imouraren mining project in northern Niger will make the country the number-two world producer of uranium, creating lots of jobs directly and indirectly⁴.

Dufour adds says the company is also taking humanitarian⁵ measures in the mining region.

The company's role Niger became controversial in the summer of 2007, when the local head of the company was accused of funding a Tuareg-led rebellion.

The northern region of Niger where the Imouraren mine is to be located is also the site of a Tuareg rebel uprising. The rebels feel they are entitled to a larger cut from the profits of their region's uranium-rich land.

Company Director Dominique Pin, who is French, was exiled from Niger. The company denies all accusations⁶.

Spokeman Dufour says they never wanted to get involved in internal politics.

Analyst⁷ for British-based Chatham House, Alex Vines says this is a very important deal for Niger, but adds it is also very important for France.

"Niger is very strategic for France. The majority of uranium for France comes from Niger and indeed French energy security is dependent on predictable consistent sources of uranium," said Vines.

He says during the past year it is uncertain how much the Niger government could get out of a renewed deal, but that 50 percent is a significant gain.

Vines says the Tuareg insurgency⁸ is a complicating⁹ factor.

"The issue of the Tuaregs became alive again at the end of last year, and I imagine that we will still see further insecurity. But this shows the pragmatic nature of the Niger government and also of Paris, given that for both countries this relationship about the extraction of Uranium is so strategic," he added.

Despite its uranium reserves, Niger is consistently ranked on the Human Development Index among the world's poorest countries.

1 jade   

n.玉石；碧玉；翡翠

参考例句：

• The statue was carved out of jade.这座塑像是玉雕的。
• He presented us with a couple of jade lions.他送给我们一对玉狮子。

2 nomadic   

adj.流浪的；游牧的

参考例句：

• This tribe still live a nomadic life.这个民族仍然过着游牧生活。
• The plowing culture and the nomadic culture are two traditional principal cultures in China.农耕文化与游牧文化是我国传统的两大主体文化。

3 fixed   

adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的

参考例句：

• Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗？
• Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定，我们就不应该随意改变。

4 indirectly   

adv.间接地，不直接了当地

参考例句：

• I heard the news indirectly.这消息我是间接听来的。
• They were approached indirectly through an intermediary.通过一位中间人，他们进行了间接接触。

5 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

6 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。

7 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

8 insurgency   

n.起义；暴动；叛变

参考例句：

• And as in China, unrest and even insurgency are widespread. 而在中国，动乱甚至暴乱都普遍存在。 来自互联网
• Dr Zyphur is part an insurgency against this idea. 塞弗博士是这一观点逆流的一部分。 来自互联网

9 complicating   

使复杂化( complicate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• High spiking fever with chills is suggestive of a complicating pylephlebitis. 伴有寒战的高热，暗示合并门静脉炎。
• In America these actions become executive puberty rites, complicating relationships that are already complicated enough. 在美国，这些行动成了行政青春期的惯例，使本来已经够复杂的关系变得更复杂了。