According to a report by Human Rights Watch (HRW), the project of petroleum company TotalEnergies is detrimental to the local population. Millions of people would be negatively affected by the project.
Last year TotalEnergies announced that they had an agreement with Uganda, Tanzania and the Chinese CNOOC to invest ten billion dollars (about 9 billion euros) in 1,443 kilometers of pipelines (EACOP – East African Crude Oil Pipeline) that will connect Lake Albert in western Uganda should connect to the coast of Tanzania on the Indian Ocean. The project has been criticized by environmental groups for endangering the fragile ecosystem and population of that region in Uganda.
Today, Human Rights Watch (HRW) called for the project to be stopped. According to them, its consequences are “disastrous” for the population because it worsens the living conditions of the local population. In addition, the project also has adverse effects on the environment.
According to HRW, an estimated 100,000 people will have to leave the area, millions more will become poorer. The consequences of the EACOP project are major: insecure food supply, children have to leave school due to financial problems and there is a threat of disastrous consequences for the environment.
TotalEnergies told HRW in June that they have offered fair compensation to local farmers and will continue to pay attention to the rights of affected communities.
In France, twenty-six Ugandans and five French Ugandan associations filed a lawsuit against TotalEnergies at the end of June seeking compensation for the damage caused by the controversial project.
Free unlimited access to Showbytes? Which can!
Log in or create an account and don’t miss a thing of the stars.