Nam uranium spooks the US

THE White House force to prevent nuclear and radiological materials from falling into the wrong hands, the Global Threat Reduction Initiative (GTRI), has told Rio Tinto Rössing Uranium to sharpen its security measures following the arrest last September of three suspects, one a Namibian Defence Force (NDF) member, for possessing and allegedly wanting to deal in nearly 170 kg of uranium oxide.

The GTRI team was part of a ‘sizeable’ delegation of the US Embassy in Windhoek who visited the mine last month, The Namibian was told.Although the US Embassy makes regular trips to the mine, this was the GTRI’s first visit.Corporate Communications Officer Botha Ellis confirmed the meeting and the GTRI’s advice to step up security measures.He said that the GTRI’s visit was preceded by a visit last year already by Rio Tinto’s security specialists for Africa and the Middle East. Most of the required security systems are already in place, they just need to be implemented, Ellis told The Namibian.The GTRI falls under the US Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA).According to its website, the GTRI ‘helps the Department of Energy achieve its Nuclear Security Goal to prevent the acquisition of nuclear and radiological materials for use in weapons of mass destruction and other acts of terrorism’.The website furthers states that the NNSA ‘strengthens the capability of foreign governments to deter, detect, and interdict illicit trafficking of nuclear and other radioactive materials across international borders and through the global maritime shipping system.’NNSA works collaboratively with foreign partners to equip border crossings, airports and seaports with radiation detection equipment. NNSA also provides training in the use of the systems for appropriate law enforcement officials and initial system sustainability support as the host government assumes operational responsibility for the equipment,’ it says.The US follows Rössing Uranium, in which the government of Iran owns 15 per cent of the shares, with a keen eye.Last February, the US and a number of other countries became convinced that Iran is running out of raw uranium and started intensive diplomatic campaigns to dissuade major uranium producers, including Namibia, from selling to Iran. Namibia is currently the fourth biggest supplier of uranium in the world.The US, Britain, France, Germany accuse Iran of trying to acquire nuclear weapons under the pretext of a civilian nuclear energy programme, which Iran has denied repeatedly.At the time, Prime Minister Nahas Angula told The Namibian that the country’s position on uranium supply is guided by international agreements, which it has to honour, and is not shaped by calls from individual nations.’Unless an international agreement, such as with the United Nations Security Council, calls for countries not to supply to Iran, the Namibian Government treats Iran as any other country,’ Angula said.Rössing told The Namibian at the time that it did not supply Iran with uranium, nor would it do so if approached by Iran. ‘The government of Iran became a shareholder at the time when the mine started in the early 1970s, (but) Rössing’s shareholders do not have any product take-off rights,’ Jerome Mutumba, Rössing’s Manager for External Affairs, said.In the latest uranium oxide bust, the Erongo Police arrested three suspects on the road between Swakopmund and Walvis Bay on September 4 last year for being in possession of, and allegedly wanting to deal in, 169,85 kg (375 pounds) of uranium oxide.The suspects in the biggest uranium oxide theft in Namibia to date are David Shindinifa (42), a NDF member from Luiperdsvallei, Riaan Maasdorp (41), an employee at Rössing Uranium, and Isaak Abraham (28), a contractor at the mine.Although the market value of the stolen uranium oxide at the time was only about US$17 812 (about N$124 000), they allegedly intended selling it for US$35 000 (about N$135 000).Shortly before the arrest, the police also found three 500ml bottles filled with uranium oxide in a house in Arandis.Erongo Police Chief Commissioner Festus Shilongo told The Namibian after the September arrest that the high price the suspects allegedly demanded for the uranium oxide convinced the Police that ‘ their (alleged) criminal activity was purely for commercial purposes’.Shilongo further said that the three suspects had been under surveillance since last June so that the Police could find out how many people were involved in the alleged syndicate, as well as why they were stealing uranium oxide. The Police stopped the trio on their way to Walvis Bay on September 4 and arrested them. They pleaded not guilty on the charges and were granted bail of N$20 000 each. Their case has been postponed to February 17.jo-mare@namibian.com.na