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Over 2 tons of missing radioactive uranium have been found near a warehouse in southern Libya, according to military officials. The 10 barrels of uranium had disappeared, sparking concerns over nuclear safety.
Khaled Mahjoub, a spokesperson for the Libyan National Army, stated that the barrels had been recovered, though a video he shared showed workers counting 18 containers.
Some of the drums in the video displayed what appeared to be batch numbers, but the footage did not show the barrels being opened.
IAEA Statement and Complex Logistics
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the UN’s nuclear watchdog, reported about 2.5 tons of uranium missing during a check at an unspecified site in the country.
The facility is in an area that is not under the control of the Government of National Unity in Tripoli and requires “complex logistics” to reach it.
The IAEA stated that it was aware of the reports of the uranium being found and was working to verify them. The missing uranium was considered a nuclear security threat.
Abandoned Barrels Found
Mahjoub stated that the site was a warehouse near the border with Chad that the IAEA had last visited in 2020 and sealed with red wax. The barrels were discovered abandoned about 3 miles from the storage facility.
He speculated that a group of separatist fighters from Chad had raided the warehouse and stolen the barrels, hoping they might contain weapons or ammunition, but had subsequently ditched them.
Divided Country and Nuclear Bomb Potential
The Libyan National Army, commanded by warlord Khalifa Haftar, had been battling rival western forces until 2020 before a ceasefire was declared, leaving the country divided.
The control over the country is currently split between the internationally recognized government in the capital Tripoli and the House of Representatives in the eastern city of Tobruk.
Although natural uranium ore cannot immediately be used to make a nuclear bomb, a group armed with expertise and the necessary equipment, including centrifuges, could refine each ton of the material to 12 pounds of weapons-grade uranium.
»Over 2 Tons of Missing Radioactive Uranium Found Near Warehouse in Southern Libya«
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