China firm suspends Niger uranium activities-source

NIAMEY, July 10 (Reuters) A Chinese mining company exploring for uranium in northern Niger has suspended its activities in the country after one of its executives was kidnapped last week, a military source said today.

Zhang Guohua, an executive at China Nuclear International Uranium Corp (Sino-U), was kidnapped on Friday close to Ingall, more than 1,000 km north of the capital Niamey.

''At the company's request, all of its workers have been evacuated under military escort to Ingall from where they will be taken to the regional capital Agadez,'' the military source told Reuters, asking not to be named.

REUTERS SBC PM2135