EACOP's Devastating Impact: Livelihoods Worsen Amidst Environmental Damage

A recently published report by the Africa Institute for Energy Governance (AFIEGO) reveals that the controversial East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) has dealt another harsh blow to local communities in Uganda.

The research finds that due to inadequate and delayed compensation by the project developer TotalEnergies, many families displaced by the pipeline have been unable to replace their lost land and resources. This has negatively impacted their incomes, food security, and overall well-being.

These findings echo longstanding community concerns. For years, citizens in Uganda and Tanzania have warned that the massive oil pipeline traversing sensitive ecosystems would disrupt livelihoods and damage the environment. Their calls for meaningful involvement in decisions about their lands and resources have largely gone unheeded.

Just last week, faith leaders in Uganda and Tanzania released a disturbing report documenting EACOP's destruction of over 2000 graves along the pipeline route, with minimal effort to consult or compensate affected families. This profound cultural disruption is but one of many indignities inflicted upon local residents by the oil corporations and complicit governments backing this project.

And yet EACOP marches on, ignoring both grassroots opposition and viable alternatives. Days before the research publication, youth activists participated in an event called PowerUp to showcase how investments in clean, renewable energy could deliver sustainable development that respects—rather than harms—local communities and environments. Their message was clear: Uganda and Tanzania's futures lie with solar and wind power, not with destructive fossil fuel pipelines.

As we gear up for COP28, it is our hope that leaders, including those in the fossil fuel industry like TotalEnergies and China National Offshore Oil Company (CNOOC) EACOP, would do well to read AFIEGO's sobering report and listen to those most impacted by their actions. There is still a chance to remedy past wrongs, restore what has been damaged, and redirect financing toward just energy solutions that benefit all. The path forward begins with communities.

Will you add your voice today and stand with the courageous citizens defending their rights? Visit this page to take action and demand justice for those affected by EACOP's abuses. With compassion and solidarity, people power can yet prevail.