In an urgent resolution adopted by a show of hands on Thursday 15 September, the European Parliament expresses its deep concern about the human rights violations and environmental consequences of the ongoing construction of the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP), which will run along the Lake Victoria Basin - the continent’s largest freshwater reserve and the source of the Nile River between Uganda and Tanzania.
Of particular concern are the arrests, intimidation and judicial harassment of human rights defenders and NGOs working in the oil and gas sector in Uganda. The European Parliament calls on the authorities to immediately release all those who have been arbitrarily arrested.
Pointing out that more than 100,000 people are at imminent risk of displacement, MEPs are urging for adequate compensation for the victims. They call on the Ugandan and Tanzanian governments to take concrete steps to ensure respect for human rights.
They also call on the EU and the international community to exert the strongest pressure on the Ugandan and Tanzanian authorities, as well as on the project owners and stakeholders, to protect the environment and stop mining activities in protected and sensitive ecosystems, notably on the shores of Lake Albert.
MEPs reiterate as well their call for ambitious EU legislation on corporate due diligence and a binding and ambitious international instrument.
The Parliament is urging TotalEnergies to take one year to study the feasibility of an alternative route to better protect some sensitive ecosystems and water resources in Uganda and Tanzania, and to limit the impact of the project on the watersheds of the Great Lakes region.
The European Parliament is also concerned about the growing influence of China and Russia - particularly in the energy sector - and the Ugandan government’s interest in developing a nuclear power project with Russian assistance.
See the resolution: https://aeur.eu/f/34d (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)