Kampala reacted on Friday, September 16, to the resolution adopted the day before by MEPs which singled out the TotalEnergies oil exploitation megaproject in Uganda and Tanzania, in particular because of ” human rights violations towards opponents of the project. The European Parliament has also called for ” adequate compensation for people at risk of being displaced along the route of the 1,400 km pipeline project.
The Ugandan president and parliament obviously have no intention of reviewing their plans. Yoweri Museveni promised on Twitter that the project will “ would continue as stipulated in the contract passed with TotalEnergies and the Chinese oil giant CNOOC. And the Ugandan president to threaten: TotalEnergies convinced me of the pipeline idea; if they choose to listen to the European Parliament, we will find another partner to work with. »
The remarks of the Deputy Speaker and the Attorney General in one of the dailies concerning the EU Parliament and EACOP interested me in making some comments of reassurance to our people.
— Yoweri K Museveni (@KagutaMuseveni) September 16, 2022
Yoweri Museveni wants “ in all cases “, the ” oil is extracted, as planned, in 2025 “. However, in its non-binding resolution, the European Parliament asks TotalEnergies to delay the project for a year to study ” the feasibility of another route to better preserve the ecosystems […] and water resources of Uganda and Tanzania “.
► Also to listen: TotalEnergies in Uganda, an oil project at a time of climate change
The Vice-President of the Ugandan Parliament was also indignant at the position taken by MEPs. In a statement, Thomas Tayebwa recalled that these projects had ” been approved ” speak “ Parliament of a sovereign country “. He estimates that “ anything against it is an affront to the independence of this chamber “and that it could not” not be taken lightly “.
On the contrary, the NGO Friends of the Earth France considered that this resolution sent ” a strong political signal “against the Tilenga and EACOP projects, of which she judges” unacceptable human, environmental and climate costs “.
► Also to listen: Oil project in Uganda: how TotalEnergies is now playing the transparency card