VZCZCXRO2622
PP RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHMR RUEHRN
DE RUEHWD #0348/01 2661521
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 231521Z SEP 09
FM AMEMBASSY WINDHOEK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0777
INFO RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY PRIORITY
RUEHUNV/UNVIE VIENNA PRIORITY 0013

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 WINDHOEK 000348 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
PLEASE PASS TO THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY, 
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION (NRC) 
STATE FOR ISN (NMENKHOFF), T, INR/AA, AND AF/S 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/21/2019 
TAGS: KNNP MNUC PARM ENRG EMIN ETTC PREL IR WA
SUBJECT: NAMIBIA: URANIUM THEFT PROMPTS ROSSING RESPONSE 
 
REF: A. WINDHOEK 296 
     ¶B. WINDHOEK 202 
     ¶C. WINDHOEK 200 
     ¶D. WINDHOEK 198 
     ¶E. WINDHOEK 159 
 
Classified By: AMBASSADOR DENNISE MATHIEU for 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
¶1.  Action request - please see para 11. 
 
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Summary 
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¶2. (C)  The recent theft of 170 kilograms of uranium oxide 
from Rio Tinto's Rossing Uranium facility has forced the 
company to strengthen its security posture, Rossing Uranium's 
Managing Director Mike Leech told Ambassador Mathieu on 
September 21.  Two Rossing employees and a third individual 
have been arrested, but there was likely collusion among 
other employees as well.  Namibian police believe the 
incident might be connected to a burgeoning black market for 
uranium based in South Africa.  Leech stressed that Rio Tinto 
is taking the theft very seriously, and that the incident had 
been a wake-up call for the entire Namibian uranium industry. 
 Uranium mining companies have reached out to the IAEA for 
assistance and have begun collaborating on security matters. 
Leech clearly understands that the incident, coupled with the 
Iranian government's 15 percent share in Rossing Uranium, 
could elicit increased international scrutiny of Rossing. 
End Summary. 
 
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Background 
---------- 
 
¶3. (SBU) Rossing Uranium Managing Director Mike Leech called 
on the Ambassador on September 21 to convey security-related 
concerns.  He noted media reports that three individuals had 
been arrested on September 4 in possession of 170 kilograms 
of uranium oxide stolen from Rio Tinto's Rossing Uranium 
mine.  The three detained suspects - Riaan Maasdorp, a 
Rossing employee, Abraham Isaak, a Rossing contractor, and 
David Shindinifa, a member of the Namibian Defense Forces - 
are being held without bail.  According to Leech, this theft 
represents the largest theft of uranium from Rossing for many 
years.  (Note: In 1991, 1,110 kilograms of uranium oxide were 
stolen from a Rossing warehouse facility, but were later 
recovered. End Note). 
 
---------------------- 
How the Theft Occurred 
---------------------- 
 
¶4. (C)  Leech stated that the three men arrested were not the 
only people involved in the theft; he expected the arrest of 
at least four others, including Rossing security guards.  It 
was clear, he said, that those involved were extremely 
familiar with the mine's internal security procedures.  The 
stolen uranium was somehow transferred from a normal steel 
barrel used to transport uranium to a waste oil barrel. 
Leech acknowledged that the thieves had to know that the 
removal of waste oil barrels from the Rossing facility is not 
rigorously monitored and controlled like that of the uranium 
barrels. 
 
¶5. (C)  To transfer the uranium to the waste oil drum, the 
thieves either colluded to render a security camera 
inoperable at the warehouse that used to store the finished 
uranium oxide product - or they simply took advantage of a 
time when the camera was inoperable.  In addition to the 
security camera coverage, Rossing has a guard posted at the 
warehouse.  Investigators have questioned the guards that 
worked at the warehouse, but none so far have admitted to 
seeing any unusual activity. 
 
----------------------------------------- 
A South African Black Market for Uranium? 
----------------------------------------- 
 
¶6. (C) Diamond mines, Leech pointed out, accept that three to 
four percent of their output will be stolen.   Such a 
threshold, he added, is clearly not permissible in the 
uranium industry, however.  Namibian authorities have shared 
with uranium industry insiders, like Leech, that a "black 
market" for uranium is emerging in South Africa.  The 
authorities believe that a group (or groups) within South 
 
WINDHOEK 00000348  002 OF 002 
 
 
Africa is trying to obtain uranium "even in small quantities" 
from the region for shipment to third countries.  He 
indicated that a theft at Langer Heinrich mine, of a small 
amount of yellow cake, earlier this year, might be linked to 
the South African black market.  Furthermore, according to 
Leech, Namibian police believe that uranium smugglers seek to 
route Namibian product via Botswana to reach the South 
African black market, but that they are confident the 
smugglers have not yet been successful. 
 
 
--------------------- 
Response to the Theft 
--------------------- 
 
¶7. (C)  Leech remarked that the arrests were a result of a 
"sting" operation carried out by the police, with the 
cooperation of Rossing.  He also pointed out that Rossing has 
pressed for imposition of the maximum possible sentence as a 
deterrent to future thefts.  Rossing will also redesign and 
strengthen its internal security controls, Leech emphasized. 
He asked the Ambassador if the Embassy might be able to 
provide some form of technical assistance as Rossing reviews 
its security program.  The Ambassador offered to have the 
Embassy's RSO contact Rossing's head of security and to ask 
Washington whether any additional technical assistance might 
be possible. 
 
¶8. (C) Leech added that he, as chair of the Namibian Chamber 
of Mines, had met recently with the managing directors of the 
other operational uranium mining companies - Paladin Energy 
(Langer Heinrich mine) and Areva (Trekkopje mine) - to 
discuss ways in which they can collectively bolster their 
security controls.  They discussed development of a joint 
information gathering (intelligence) capability to counter 
potential risks.  In addition, the three companies have 
solicited the assistance of the International Atomic Energy 
Agency (IAEA) through their affiliation with the Namibian 
Uranium Stewardship Committee and Namibia's Nuclear 
Regulatory Authority, both of which are led by Woton 
Swiegers.  Leech noted that Swiegers had recently returned to 
Namibia following meetings with the IAEA in Vienna where he 
requested additional IAEA assistance for Namibia.  The three 
companies are also renewing public education efforts 
highlighting the dangers of casual (unprotected) contact with 
uranium oxide as a way to deter would-be smugglers. 
 
------------------ 
Iranian Connection 
------------------ 
 
¶9.  (C) Leech noted that the Government of Iran (GOI) has 
refused all offers to date to buy its 15.01 percent stake in 
Rossing, even though the Bank of Namibia has banned the 
remittance of Rossing's dividends to GOI-owned banks since 
2008, in compliance with UN sanctions.  Without a way to 
repatriate its earnings, Leech noted, the ban has in effect 
created an incentive for the GOI to reinvest its dividends in 
Namibia, including the purchases of available Rossing shares 
from small shareholders, said Leech.  The GOI is also rumored 
to be interested in purchasing Namibian land, he told us. 
 
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Comment 
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¶10. (C)  Rossing has elicited close scrutiny from the USG and 
others in recent months because of the Iranian government's 
stake in the company.  Leech clearly believed the recent 
theft would spark additional concerns and felt the need to 
reach out to the Ambassador to emphasize they were taking the 
incident very seriously and were taking rigorous steps to 
prevent future problems.  Rossing clearly has a compelling 
incentive to safeguard its product -- fear of losing one if 
its biggest customers.  The United States represents 30 
percent of Rossing's sales. 
 
---------------- 
Action Requested 
---------------- 
 
¶11.  Post would appreciate Department's guidance on how to 
respond to Leech's request for U.S. assistance in 
strengthening Rossing's security system. 
MATHIEU