Niger's president flatly rejected claims that his country had sold uranium to Iraq, as alleged by the United States and Britain as part of their justification for attacking Iraq.

The denial came on the same day that a British newspaper reported that the United States was telling the impoverished west African desert state to keep quiet on the issue.

"Against our wishes our country has been front-page news over an affair of the sale of uranium from Niger to Iraq: this affair is nothing else than an accusation without foundation," said President Mamadou Tandja.

Niger President Mamadou Tandja, who flatly rejected claims that his country had sold uranium to Iraq, as alleged by the United States and Britain as part of their justification for attacking Iraq. (AFP/Pius Utomi Ekpei)

The United States and Britain argued before the war on Iraq that the alleged uranium sales proved that Saddam Hussein was seeking to acquire nuclear weapons. The need to eliminate Iraq's weapons of mass destruction was cited as a reason for the attack.

But subsequently doubts were cast on the claim and documents apparently proving that such sales had taken place were shown to be crude forgeries.

President Tandja, in a speech Sunday marking the 43rd anniversary of his state's independence from France, again rejected the claim.

He also noted that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the UN's nuclear watchdog, had cleared Niger of all suspicion.

"On the basis of convincing elements presented by the government plus the converging analyses of different experts and professional journalists, it emerges beyond question that our country did not sell uranium to Iraq," he said.

Even "the most competent authority in the matter, the IAEA, asked to look into the charge publicly cleared Niger of all suspicion before the United Nations Security Council," added the president, a former army officer elected head of state in 1999.

A British newspaper meanwhile reported Sunday that the United States had warned Niger to keep out of the row over uranium.

Quoting senior Niger government officials, The Sunday Telegraph said Herman Cohen, a former US assistant secretary of state for Africa, called on President Tandja in the capital Niamey last week to relay the message from Washington.

The American intervention reflects growing concern about the continuing row over claims that the United States and Britain distorted evidence to justify their war against Iraq launched in March, the paper added.

US President George W. Bush, citing British sources, claimed in his State of the Union speech to Congress in January that Iraq had been seeking to buy uranium from Niger for its nuclear programme. Later the White House backed away from the charge.

The IAEA declared in March that documents supporting the claims were "not authentic".

But last month British Prime Minister Tony Blair said he still stood by allegations made in September 2002 to the effect that Iraq tried to procure uranium from Niger.

The British govermment said it had sources for the claim different from those used by President Bush in his speech.

Niger is the world's third largest producer of uranium after Canada and Australia, which between them account for about half the world's production.

The radioactive metal is produced at two mines and accounts for 70 percent of Niger's export earnings. Most of it is sold to France and Japan and the country's two mines are controlled by the French company Cogema.

© 2003 AFP

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