Uganda’s $10Bn Oil Project Sparks Human Rights Violations, Environmental Concerns

Editor’s Review

• Uganda’s President Museveni is facing criticism over a massive oil project led by TotalEnergies and CNOOC, which has caused environmental damage and human rights abuses. The $10 billion project involves drilling 400+ wells and building a pipeline from Lake Albert to Tanzania. Human rights groups report forced evictions, sexual violence, and repression of local communities, with thousands displaced.

Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni, who has ruled the country with an iron fist since 1986, is facing growing opposition over a massive oil project that has sparked concerns from environmentalists and human rights groups. The project, led by French company TotalEnergies and China’s CNOOC, involves drilling over 400 oil wells in the Lake Albert region of western Uganda and constructing the world’s longest heated pipeline, stretching 1,443 km to the Tanzanian port of Tanga.

The $10 billion megaproject aims to extract oil from Lake Albert, a natural border between Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, which holds an estimated 6.5 billion barrels of crude oil, with about 1.4 billion barrels considered recoverable. However, the project has faced fierce opposition due to its potential environmental impact and the displacement of local communities.

Human rights organizations, including the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), CRED, and Lawyers Without Borders, have reported severe violations linked to the project, such as forced evictions, land rights abuses, and environmental degradation. These groups have highlighted ongoing human rights abuses, including sexual violence, harassment, and repression by Ugandan soldiers against local fishermen. A 100-page report documented widespread forced evictions and the exploitation of women, often by military personnel and company staff.

The NGOs also reported a “climate of fear” in the oil fields, with several deaths among local fishermen around Lake Albert. The project has led to the displacement of approximately 12,000 families near the pipeline route, and hundreds more around Lake Albert. The report noted that some forced evictions took place during the COVID-19 pandemic, with 769 people removed from their villages in 2020 under the threat of violence.

Despite the criticism, Uganda’s Information Minister Chris Baryomunsi dismissed the allegations as “ridiculous and unfounded.” TotalEnergies, in a statement, expressed strong disagreement with the accusations, reiterating their commitment to respecting human rights and maintaining transparency in their operations.

The opposition to the project has intensified in recent years, with activists facing increasing repression. Human rights groups are calling for an end to the forced evictions and violations of international law, which they argue have been ignored in the pursuit of the country’s oil ambitions.