TotalEnergies Accused of Abuses Linked to €10bn East African Oil Pipeline

TotalEnergies is under fire over alleged abuses related to the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP), a project designed to transport crude oil from Lake Albert in northwestern Uganda to the Tanzanian port of Tanga via a 1,443-kilometre heated pipeline. The project, championed by Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni, has faced significant opposition from environmental groups, who warn that it threatens local communities and fragile ecosystems.

A report released Thursday by the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), Civic Response on Environment and Development, and Lawyers Without Borders accuses the project of causing “disproportionate security measures, repression, land rights violations, forced evictions, and corruption.” The report also alleges that Ugandan troops have harassed and beaten fishing communities near the oil sites, with cases of sexual and gender-based violence reportedly committed by soldiers and company personnel.

The report highlights that the most severe abuses occurred around the Kingfisher oil fields, where a “high level of fear” persists. “There has been an acceleration in construction at the oil sites over the last two years, bringing a new wave of human rights abuses,” said Sacha Feierabend, a senior researcher with FIDH. “There is intensifying repression of human rights defenders, climate and environmental activists, who are trying to make their voices heard regarding this project,” she added.

Since May, at least 96 activists have been arrested, with additional reports of beatings, break-ins, unlawful detentions, and torture. The report also claims that approximately 12,000 families around the pipeline have been displaced, along with hundreds of households near Lake Albert.

One of the most serious allegations dates back to May 2020, when 769 people from the villages of Kiina and Kyabasambu were allegedly “driven out at gunpoint” during the COVID-19 pandemic and never allowed to return. The NGOs condemned the evictions, stating that without prior notice or compensation, they violated international and constitutional law.

The report also notes fears of inflation due to land speculation, as well as concerns over working conditions, with at least two fatalities reported from labor-related incidents. Those living near the oil sites complain of “dust, noise, light pollution, and vibrations.” Furthermore, oil spills pose a “serious threat to the environment and public health,” the report warns, adding that “the catchment areas of the two lakes [Albert and Victoria] are vital to tens of thousands of people across East Africa.”

Ugandan government spokesman Chris Baryomunsi dismissed the allegations as “ridiculous and unfounded,” calling it a “smear campaign” against the project. He urged anyone with evidence of human rights abuses to report it to the authorities. TotalEnergies, meanwhile, rejected the claims, stating it “strongly disagrees” with the allegations and emphasized its commitment to human rights. “In Uganda, as elsewhere, TotalEnergies is transparent about its human rights commitments and their implementation,” the company said.