FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
TANGA, Tanzania (Aug. 29, 2024) — Community members from Tanga, climate activists, and several East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) project-affected people held a peaceful demonstration outside the EACOP offices in Tanga, Tanzania, to protest the ongoing EACOP pipeline construction and its negative impacts on their livelihoods and the environment.
The affected community members and activists raised several concerns, including:
- Disruption of Fishing Activities: Fishermen in Chongoleani Tanga complained that the drilling activities associated with the EACOP project have led to increased noise pollution and a decline in their fish catch.
- Irregular Food Ration Program: PAPs in Tanga expressed dissatisfaction with the promised six-month food ration and financial support, which has been distributed irregularly and has yet to meet their needs.
- Lack of Compensation: Fisherpeople in Chongoleani were displaced without receiving adequate compensation despite assurances from the project developers.
The decision to hold the protests in Tanga rather than Dar es Salaam, as has been the case in the past, was to involve the project-affected people who wanted to take part in letting the world know about their plight and to deliver a petition outlining their grievances to the EACOP office in Tanga. Unfortunately, they were denied access and directed to give it to the EACOP head office in Dar es Salaam.
They also emphasized that they have exhausted all avenues for addressing their grievances through local channels and are now seeking international attention to their plight. They called on the Tanzanian government and the EACOP project developers to take immediate action to address their concerns and stop intimidating PAPs and community members seeking solutions to problems resulting from the EACOP activities in their region.
Quotes
“TotalEnergies and CNOOC cannot hide behind government actions to silence local voices and the widespread opposition against EACOP. We will continue to hold these corporations accountable for their complicity in human rights violations and environmental destruction and we will continue to call a spade a spade- correctly characterizing the EACOP project as one of neocolonial pillaging and plundering. This is what makes the StopEACOP campaign a fight that concerns and impacts us all. We call on ordinary people across the world to rally with us to elevate the experiences and aspirations of communities on the frontlines and to unite with us in a fierce resistance against the brutal exploitation, extraction and destruction of corporate greed.”, said StopEACOP Coordinator Zaki Mamdoo.
“We stand in unwavering solidarity with our fellow activists in Uganda and Tanzania who face persecution for defending their fundamental rights and our shared environment. The struggle against EACOP transcends borders, much like the far-reaching consequences of this misguided project. We call on TotalEnergies, CNOOC, and their stakeholders to recognize their complicity in the suppression of local voices and environmental degradation.”, said Organisation for Community Engagement (OCE), CEO, Richard Senkondo
“EACOP has devastated our communities, with women and girls bearing the heaviest burden. We’ve lost our farmlands and fishing grounds—the very foundation of our livelihoods and food security. This pipeline doesn’t just threaten our environment; it’s dismantling the social fabric that women have long upheld. We urgently need a shift to decentralized renewable energy projects that empower rather than exploit. Our future, and the futures of our daughters, depend on development that respects both our people and our planet.”, said Executive Director, Green Conservers, Ziadah Kassimu
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Notes to Editors:
Photos and videos can be found here.
The memorandum of demands can be found here.
For media inquiries, contact:
Abiud Onyach
Digital and Communications Lead
StopEACOP Campaign
info@stopeacop.net | +254700593687
About the StopEACOP Campaign
The StopEACOP Coalition is an alliance of local groups, communities, and African and global organisations. The coalition has been calling for a stop to the proposed pipeline and associated oil fields at Tilenga and Kingfisher. The StopEACOP Campaign is gathering momentum, building pressure on the remaining supporters and financiers of the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP). To date, 43 banks and over 30 (re) insurers have already ruled out support for EACOP.
