Human Rights Watch (HRW) has condemned the extended detention of 11 environmental activists protesting the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP), calling it ‘totally unacceptable’ and a violation of their rights to freedom of expression and assembly.
The activists, including eight students from Students Against EACOP Uganda, were arrested on August 1 during a demonstration near Stanbic Bank, which provides financial support to the $5 billion (Shs18 trillion) pipeline project.
They face criminal charges of ‘nuisance on roads.’
‘The Ugandan authorities should listen to these concerns and respect protesters’ rights to freedom of expression and assembly,’ said Agathe Bounfour, Senior Researcher for Environment and Human Rights at HRW.
‘Human Rights Watch has previously documented various ways in which the Ugandan government has cracked down on anti-fossil fuel activists and environmental defenders, including harassment, threats, and arbitrary arrests,’ she added.
On November 6, the Buganda Chief Magistrate Court greenlighted the trial of the 11 activists after one pleaded guilty and was released on caution.
The remaining ten were remanded to Luzira Prison until November 25, extending their detention to 117 days.
HRW noted that protests against EACOP have occurred at multiple locations in Kampala, including Parliament, embassies, and banks, often resulting in prosecutions or police investigations.
‘Several cases remain ongoing, while most already adjudicated were deemed to have insufficient evidence or were dropped for procedural reasons,’ Bounfour said.
The anti-EACOP activists argue that the project threatens the environment and livelihoods of vulnerable Ugandans.
HRW has highlighted the pipeline’s potential impact on Africa’s most sensitive ecosystems and its contribution to millions of tons of carbon dioxide emissions.
‘The project will also disturb some of Africa’s most sensitive ecosystems and emit millions of tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere,’ Bounfour said.
She urged institutions to reconsider their support for EACOP, citing documented impacts on Ugandan families linked to land acquisition for the project.
EACOP, jointly owned by French oil giant TotalEnergies (62 percent), Uganda National Oil Company (15 percent), China National Offshore Oil Corporation (8 percent), and Tanzania’s Petroleum Development Corporation (15 percent), is a 1,443 km pipeline transporting Uganda’s waxy crude oil from mid-western Uganda to Tanzania’s Tanga port on the Indian Ocean.
The Ugandan government and project stakeholders defend EACOP, describing it as a transformative economic venture for the country once oil production begins.