Lubumbashi-Katanga Province-Democratic Republic of Congo- September 11th,2013-One of the 50 most influential Africans, Moise Katumbi Chapwe, in addition to being governor of Katanga Province, the Democratic Republic of Congos mining heartland, is even a businessman and ows a famous african soccer team, the TP Mazembe. Internationally known as The Jew from Katanga, Moise Katumbi Chapwe, the multimillionaire congolese businessman is the powerful governor of the province of Katanga, one the mineral-rich Wild West zones of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Moise Katumbi Chapwe is the son of Nissim Soriano, one of hte many Sephardic Italian Jews who emigrated to the Congo from the Greek Rhodes Island (then under Italian rule) to flee the Nazis prior to World War II.The picture shows Governor Moise Katumbi Chapwe, inside his private jet going to visit the Katanga regions remote zones.

Lubumbashi-Katanga Province-Democratic Republic of Congo- September 11th,2013-One of the 50 most influential Africans, Moise Katumbi Chapwe, in addition to being governor of Katanga Province, the Democratic Republic of Congos mining heartland, is even a businessman and ows a famous african soccer team, the TP Mazembe. Internationally known as The Jew from Katanga, Moise Katumbi Chapwe, the multimillionaire congolese businessman is the powerful governor of the province of Katanga, one the mineral-rich Wild West zones of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Moise Katumbi Chapwe is the son of Nissim Soriano, one of hte many Sephardic Italian Jews who emigrated to the Congo from the Greek Rhodes Island (then under Italian rule) to flee the Nazis prior to World War II.The picture shows Governor Moise Katumbi Chapwe, with the soccer players of the TP Mazembe, the team he ows, inside the Mazembe stadium.

Lubumbashi-Katanga Province-Democratic Republic of Congo- September 11th,2013-One of the 50 most influential Africans, Moise Katumbi Chapwe, in addition to being governor of Katanga Province, the Democratic Republic of Congos mining heartland, is even a businessman and ows a famous african soccer team, the TP Mazembe. Internationally known as The Jew from Katanga, Moise Katumbi Chapwe, the multimillionaire congolese businessman is the powerful governor of the province of Katanga, one the mineral-rich Wild West zones of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Moise Katumbi Chapwe is the son of Nissim Soriano, one of hte many Sephardic Italian Jews who emigrated to the Congo from the Greek Rhodes Island (then under Italian rule) to flee the Nazis prior to World War II.The picture shows Governor Moise Katumbi Chapwe, moments before boarding his private jet going to visit the Katanga regions remote zones.

Lubumbashi-Katanga Province-Democratic Republic of Congo- September 11th,2013-One of the 50 most influential Africans, Moise Katumbi Chapwe, in addition to being governor of Katanga Province, the Democratic Republic of Congos mining heartland, is even a businessman and ows a famous african soccer team, the TP Mazembe. Internationally known as The Jew from Katanga, Moise Katumbi Chapwe, the multimillionaire congolese businessman is the powerful governor of the province of Katanga, one the mineral-rich Wild West zones of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Moise Katumbi Chapwe is the son of Nissim Soriano, one of hte many Sephardic Italian Jews who emigrated to the Congo from the Greek Rhodes Island (then under Italian rule) to flee the Nazis prior to World War II.The picture shows Governor Moise Katumbi Chapwe, moments before boarding his private jet going to visit the Katanga regions remote zones.

Lubumbashi-Katanga Province-Democratic Republic of Congo- September 11th,2013-One of the 50 most influential Africans, Moise Katumbi Chapwe, in addition to being governor of Katanga Province, the Democratic Republic of Congos mining heartland, is even a businessman and ows a famous african soccer team, the TP Mazembe. Internationally known as The Jew from Katanga, Moise Katumbi Chapwe, the multimillionaire congolese businessman is the powerful governor of the province of Katanga, one the mineral-rich Wild West zones of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Moise Katumbi Chapwe is the son of Nissim Soriano, one of hte many Sephardic Italian Jews who emigrated to the Congo from the Greek Rhodes Island (then under Italian rule) to flee the Nazis prior to World War II.The picture shows Governor Moise Katumbi Chapwe, moments before boarding his private jet going to visit the Katanga regions remote zones.

Lubumbashi-Katanga Province-Democratic Republic of Congo- September 11th,2013-One of the 50 most influential Africans, Moise Katumbi Chapwe, in addition to being governor of Katanga Province, the Democratic Republic of Congos mining heartland, is even a businessman and ows a famous african soccer team, the TP Mazembe. Internationally known as The Jew from Katanga, Moise Katumbi Chapwe, the multimillionaire congolese businessman is the powerful governor of the province of Katanga, one the mineral-rich Wild West zones of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Moise Katumbi Chapwe is the son of Nissim Soriano, one of hte many Sephardic Italian Jews who emigrated to the Congo from the Greek Rhodes Island (then under Italian rule) to flee the Nazis prior to World War II.The picture shows Governor Moise Katumbi Chapwe, with one soccer player of the TP Mazembe, the team he ows, inside the Mazembe stadium.

Lubumbashi-Katanga Province-Democratic Republic of Congo- September 11th,2013-One of the 50 most influential Africans, Moise Katumbi Chapwe, in addition to being governor of Katanga Province, the Democratic Republic of Congos mining heartland, is even a businessman and ows a famous african soccer team, the TP Mazembe. Internationally known as The Jew from Katanga, Moise Katumbi Chapwe, the multimillionaire congolese businessman is the powerful governor of the province of Katanga, one the mineral-rich Wild West zones of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Moise Katumbi Chapwe is the son of Nissim Soriano, one of hte many Sephardic Italian Jews who emigrated to the Congo from the Greek Rhodes Island (then under Italian rule) to flee the Nazis prior to World War II.The picture shows Governor Moise Katumbi Chapwe, moments after his arrival to Kashobwe village, his home-town, at the border of Zambia.

Lubumbashi-Katanga Province-Democratic Republic of Congo- September 11th,2013-One of the 50 most influential Africans, Moise Katumbi Chapwe, in addition to being governor of Katanga Province, the Democratic Republic of Congos mining heartland, is even a businessman and ows a famous african soccer team, the TP Mazembe. Internationally known as The Jew from Katanga, Moise Katumbi Chapwe, the multimillionaire congolese businessman is the powerful governor of the province of Katanga, one the mineral-rich Wild West zones of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Moise Katumbi Chapwe is the son of Nissim Soriano, one of hte many Sephardic Italian Jews who emigrated to the Congo from the Greek Rhodes Island (then under Italian rule) to flee the Nazis prior to World War II.The picture shows Governor Moise Katumbi Chapwe, moments after his arrival to Kashobwe village, his home-town, at the border of Zambia.

Lubumbashi-Katanga Province-Democratic Republic of Congo- September 11th,2013-One of the 50 most influential Africans, Moise Katumbi Chapwe, in addition to being governor of Katanga Province, the Democratic Republic of Congos mining heartland, is even a businessman and ows a famous african soccer team, the TP Mazembe. Internationally known as The Jew from Katanga, Moise Katumbi Chapwe, the multimillionaire congolese businessman is the powerful governor of the province of Katanga, one the mineral-rich Wild West zones of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Moise Katumbi Chapwe is the son of Nissim Soriano, one of hte many Sephardic Italian Jews who emigrated to the Congo from the Greek Rhodes Island (then under Italian rule) to flee the Nazis prior to World War II.The picture shows Governor Moise Katumbi Chapwe, inside the Mazembe stadium.

Lubumbashi-Katanga Province-Democratic Republic of Congo- September 11th,2013-One of the 50 most influential Africans, Moise Katumbi Chapwe, in addition to being governor of Katanga Province, the Democratic Republic of Congos mining heartland, is even a businessman and ows a famous african soccer team, the TP Mazembe. Internationally known as The Jew from Katanga, Moise Katumbi Chapwe, the multimillionaire congolese businessman is the powerful governor of the province of Katanga, one the mineral-rich Wild West zones of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Moise Katumbi Chapwe is the son of Nissim Soriano, one of hte many Sephardic Italian Jews who emigrated to the Congo from the Greek Rhodes Island (then under Italian rule) to flee the Nazis prior to World War II.The picture shows Governor Moise Katumbi Chapwe, with a soccer player of the TP Mazembe, the team he ows, inside the Mazembe stadium.

An unsteady bike headlight and a kid eager to escape from his mother’s arms can easily turn into a tragedy. Because when night shows up, only the headlights of the cars furtively light up the faces of Niamey’s inhabitants.

In the rural areas of Niger, where more than 83 percent of Nigeriens live and less than 2 percent of the inhabitants have access to electricity, people have to sleep at 8 p.m. because, by then, it is already dark and there is no electricity. With a blistering 48 degrees in summer and barely any electricity to turn on a fan, the people of Niger live in “darkness, warmth and insecurity,” says activist of Right of Energy organisation.

The national rate of access to electricity in Niger does not exceed 10 percent, while France lights up almost one third of its light bulbs from Uranium it extracted from Niger. Niger’s contract with Areva, which France owns 80 percent of, is expected to be renewed by the end of 2013 and currently, negotiations are underway.
The government is looking for Niger's best interest, rather than France's, as the Nigerien Minister of Mines says, “natural resources must serve our country’s interests.” This is particularly important, since the country has been ranked as the least developed country when it came to UNDP’s index of human development.

It was announced that a new mine pit will soon be open and, starting from 2015, 5000 tons of uranium will be extracted from it each year. This mine, however, was attributed to Areva in 2009, and so far, all subcontractors in the project have been foreign. Nevertheless, it has been stated that this mine will contribute to the development of Niger in the fields of health, eduction, transportation, water and access to energy. Civil society activists are skeptic of this project and have been taking measures such as organizing debates and forums and surveying the behavior of new investors, in order to ensure that they receive what they have been promised.

A shack that serves dinner is announced by a neon light above a row of cooking put full of rice and leaf sauce. Here, Malian migrants after the night meal, Niamey.

After the night’s prayer, reading of Koran under the white neon of a shop, Niamey.

In front of his shop where he sells cigarettes and tea, Ibrahim tells time with small swallow of sweet green tea.

A family sat down for a diner on a laterite road, shined by a torch made in China. Yantala, Niamey.

A cow lighted up by the headline of a bike in the black night of Niamey. 83,3% of Niger inhabitants live in rural areas, where less than 2% have access to electricity.

At sunset, the inhabitants of Niamey gather under the unusual light bulbs which break through obscurity.

Session hairdressing in the University of Niamey, under the light of a bulb suspended to the branch of an acacia.

Bike repairs under the white neon of one of the rare bookshops of the city-center of Niamey.

Furtive outline of a young veiled girl in the dark night of Niamey, only lighted on by the headlines of a car. Only 10% of Niger’s inhabitants have access to electricity.

A Nigerien makes his ablutions before the night’s prayer in a common courtyard of Niamey. His sun makes out his gestures in the darkness.

Prayer, a major event that occurs in the dark in a society where more than 95 percent of the people are Muslims.

From afar, itinerary sellers look like huge fireflies. When one comes closer, he can gradually make out the shape of their wheelbarrow carrying cigarettes, drugs imported from Nigeria, China and India… An entire bazaar illuminated by a torch made in China.

An ice-cream seller below a white neon in Niamey. Without electricity, ice-cream is an utopia and his fridge is empty.

Biba would like to know what happened to her father, who died 40 days after her birth in 1986. He spent 10 years driving trucks in Somair, Areva's uranium mine of Arlit.

De loin, les marchands ambulants ressemblent à des lucioles géantes. Plus on se rapproche d’eux, plus on devine les cigarettes et les médicaments importés du Nigéria, d’Inde ou de Chine... Le tout éclairé par une lampe… fabriquée en Chine.

Evènement majeur de la vie quotidienne de cette société à plus de 95% musulmane, la prière se passe souvent dans le noir une fois la nuit tombée.

A la tombée de la nuit, les habitants de Niamey se concentrent sous les rares ampoules qui percent l’obscurité.

Réparation de moto sous les néons de l'une des rares librairies du centre-ville de Niamey.

La nuit sans lumière donne à l'existence des Nigériens quelque chose de vulnérable, d’éphémère. Comme si leur vie pesait moins que celle des citoyens bien éclairés sous les lampadaires publics.

Une famille attablée sur un chemin de latérite, pour un dîner éclairé par une lampe torche fabriquée en Chine. Quartier Yantala, Niamey.

Devant sa boutique de cigarettes et de thé, Ibrahim égrène le temps à lampées de thé sucré.

Les inégalités d’accès à l'énergie sont à l’origine des différences de développement entre un Nigérien et un Français. Ce dernier peut surfer sur Internet, prendre le TGV et le métro ; autant de services refusés au Nigérien lambda », dit Moustapha Kadi, président du Coddae.