A UN nuclear watchdog recently discovered 2.5 tons of natural uranium missing from a Libyan plant. The site in question is not controlled by the government.
Atomic energy regulators are already carrying out investigations into the issue.
10 Barrels of Uranium Missing in Libya
Typically, uranium is used to fuel industrial nuclear reactors that generate energy. The heavy metal is also utilized to create isotopes that are used globally for industrial, medical, and even weapons applications.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will conduct additional investigations to "clarify the circumstances of the removal of the nuclear material and its current location," according to a report by The Guardian.
The agency had planned an inspection in 2022 but had to cancel it due to security concerns in the region.
The inspection ultimately took place on Tuesday, March 14, and the Director-General of the IAEA, Rafael Grossi, announced the discovery of the missing uranium to the IAEA's member states.
Ten drums of uranium ore concentrate containing the missing natural uranium were "not present as previously declared," Grossi reports.
Potential Misuse Not Ruled Out
Grossi's confidential communication to the IAEA warns of the dangers posed by a loss of knowledge regarding the current location of the nuclear material.
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There may be "radiological risk as well as nuclear security concerns," as stated in the report. "Complex logistics" are required to reach the site, it added.
With the collapse of former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, the country has been divided into two governments. Beginning as a conflict between the government and nonviolent political activists, Libya descended into civil war in the same year.
International travel advisories warn that Libya's political situation is still fragile, and the security situation is risky and unpredictable. Due to political disputes, security incidents such as inter-militia fights and oil blockades occur in the African country.
With this, The Guardian notes that the missing 2.5 tonnes of uranium are a source of concern for non-proliferation experts, who fear that groups will seize it with the technological capabilities and resources to convert it into weapons-grade material.
Libya's History with Nuclear Weapons
Reports say Gaddafi began working with nuclear weapons in the 1980s using black market vendors and networks for illegal nuclear proliferation, tapping Swiss nuclear engineer Friedrich Tinner.
Arms Control Association tells us that in December 2003, Gaddafi pretty much shocked the world by renouncing Libya's weapons of mass destruction (WMD) programs and inviting foreign inspectors to ensure that Tripoli would keep its word.
Following Gaddafi's declaration, international agencies and inspectors from the United States, the United Kingdom, and other countries went to help dismantle Libya's chemical and nuclear weapons programs and its longest-range ballistic missiles.
In January, Western Australian emergency services announced a search for a tiny radioactive capsule that had gone missing while being transported from a mine. Officials at the time urged the public to report any sightings of this object since it posed a threat to human health.
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