The signing ceremony of the EACOP agreement took place at the State House in Entebbe on April 10, 2021, attended by leaders from both countries and representatives of the implementing companies. Photo: Courtesy.
Manyara residents in Tanzania demand fair compensation as EACOP faces mounting environmental opposition
By Adonis Byemelwa
In the heart of Manyara, a chorus of discontent rises, echoing through the verdant landscapes as residents vehemently protest what they perceive as paltry recompense for their cherished lands relinquished to the insatiable maw of progress.
Their voices, laden with frustration and indignation, pierce the tranquil air, punctuating the serene surroundings with a fervor born of injustice.
These embattled souls stand firm against the juggernaut of the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) project, a David amidst Goliaths, demanding fair restitution for their sacrifices.
The Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation (TPDC) maintains that the compensation process has in adhered to both national and international regulations.
Speaking to Exponent Magazine on Thursday, May 30, 2024, TPDC Director Musa Makame emphasized that all payment procedures were meticulously followed.
He urged dissatisfied individuals to file formal complaints through the proper channels, starting from the village level up to the district and regional levels. He added that his office has not yet received any formal complaints.
The residents allege they were compensated last year (2023) based on land valuations from 2016, which they argue is unfair.
Representing the Manyara residents, Kamili Fabiano expressed dissatisfaction with the compensation, stating that he was paid Sh300,000 per hectare, whereas the land’s value had risen to over Sh 1 million by the time compensation was disbursed.
“For instance, I received Sh300,000 per hectare, while the value of that land had risen to over Sh 1 million. Where is the justice in that? We urge the government to help us receive fair compensation.
The amount paid is insufficient even to purchase new land elsewhere, especially since some of us depended on the acquired land for farming,” Fabiano said.
In light of the disastrous consequences such a project would have on the environment, the climate, and humanity, the project faces significant resistance from both local and international communities.
Directly affected communities are taking action on the front lines, supported by local organizations denouncing human rights violations and environmental risks.
However, they are facing severe backlash: several community leaders and NGO members have been threatened or arrested, organizations have been shut down, and some individuals opposing Total’s project have been hunted down, forcing them into hiding.
Other legal proceedings against the project are also underway, with NGOs mounting pressure to oppose human rights violations. Photo: Courtesy
Invoking France’s new duty of vigilance law, six organizations issued a legal notice to TotalEnergies in 2019, contesting its oil megaproject in Uganda and Tanzania.
Two of these organizations are French—Friends of the Earth France and Survie—and the other four are Ugandan—AFIEGO, CRED, NAPE/Friends of the Earth Uganda, and NAVODA.
They argued that the French company was not complying with its obligations to prevent human rights violations and environmental harm caused by the operations of its subsidiaries and subcontractors in Uganda and Tanzania.
After Total rejected these accusations, the six organizations filed a lawsuit with the French courts in October 2019.
Although the Cour de Cassation (French Supreme Court) ruled in December 2021 that the case fell within the jurisdiction of the civil court, the case has been substantially delayed. The merits of the case are expected to be judged in Autumn 2022, three years after the lawsuit was filed.
Other legal proceedings against the project are also underway. Procedural issues have delayed a lawsuit filed with the East African Court of Justice, resulting in no hearing on the merits to date
Numerous lawsuits filed by local NGOs in Uganda have faced constant postponements. Many civil society organizations have documented human rights violations and environmental impacts resulting from the EACOP, Tilenga, and associated projects, with an increasing number of reports since 2017.
Reports by the Netherlands Commission for Environmental Assessment and the environmental consultancy E-Tech highlight the risks of environmental harm. International journalists have corroborated these findings, documenting numerous human rights violations.
Total’s response has often been to attribute the issues to communication problems or to blame local communities for misunderstanding instructions given by its teams and subcontractors.
The EACOP project, expected to be a collaborative effort involving Total of France, China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC), and Tullow Oil of the UK, in partnership with Uganda National Oil Company (UNOC) and TPDC, aims to transport crude oil discovered in Uganda to international markets.
The project follows the discovery of approximately 6.5 billion barrels of crude oil, with an estimated recoverable amount between 1.2 billion and 1.7 billion barrels.
Notably, even Jaffar Amin, son of former Ugandan President Idi Amin, has opposed the deal, reflecting broader discontent. The pipeline will traverse several regions including Kagera, Geita, Shinyanga, Tabora, Singida, Dodoma, Manyara, and Tanga.
