Inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) have found that about two and a half tons of natural uranium have disappeared from a Libyan site no longer under government control, according to a press release the agency sent to its member on Wednesday, March 15 has sent states.
The observation was made during an inspection originally planned last year but postponed “due to the security situation in the region,” according to the confidential document signed by IAEA chief Rafael Grossi. The inspection finally took place on Tuesday.
future research
During the inspection, an IAEA team found that “approximately 2.5 tonnes of natural uranium in the form of uranium ore concentrate previously declared by (Libya) for storage at this site was not present at the scene,” the one-page read Explanation.
The IAEA informed its members that it would conduct “additional activities” to investigate the circumstances surrounding the removal of the uranium from the site, which it did not name, and to determine where the uranium is now located. This uncertainty fuels fears of “radiological risk” and raises concerns about nuclear safety, according to the press release, which specifies that visiting the site in question requires “complex logistics”.
A nuclear program ended in 2003
Libya gave up its nuclear weapons program in 2003 after receiving centrifuges to enrich uranium and information documents for the design of a nuclear bomb – but without being able to move forward with such a project. Since Muammar Gaddafi was ousted from power in 2011, Libya has been mired in near-constant instability amid a power struggle between rival factions that split the country in two in 2014.
The interim government installed in early 2021 as part of the UN mediation after the end of fighting for control of Tripoli, which was to lead the country until the elections scheduled for the same year, which have not yet taken place, is still in office. Its legitimacy has been disputed ever since.