By Nneka Nwogwugwu
Six civil society organizations have called for a total shut down of Total’s extraction projects in Uganda.
The CSOs made this demand in a statement made available to NatureNews.Africa on Wednesday.
Representatives of the CSOs are Mr. Joram Iuseb of Indigenous Peoples of Africa Co-ordinating Committee (IPACC), Namibia, Ms. Thuli Makama, Oil Change International (OCI), Swaziland, Ms. Makoma Lekalakala, Earth life Africa, South Africa, Ms. OduduAbasi Asuquo, Oilwatch Africa, Nigeria, Mrs. Salome Nduta, Coordinator Oilwatch Africa, Kenya and Mr. Nnimmo Bassey, Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF), Nigeria.
The delegates of Oilwatch who paid a courtesy visit to Africa Institute for Energy Governance (AFIEGO) from 6 to 8th September 2022, said that the main objective of the solidarity visit was to show support to AFIEGO and partners in Uganda.
They hailed AFIEGO for its 12 years of promoting and supporting communities from the oil and gas regions to protect their environment, land and human rights against oil and gas and other related projects.
They also affirmed that since the commercialisation of Uganda’s oil, the project-affected communities have experienced several challenges including delayed and unfair compensation, displacement from their land, increased human rights abuses and others that have negatively affected their livelihoods.
“Projects such as Tilenga, Kingfisher, the oil refinery, East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) and others will negatively impact on critical biodiversity that are of international importance and are under UNESCO’s world heritage and RAMSAR sites such as national parks, forests, lakes, rivers and among others.
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“These oil and gas projects are also contrary to the country’s commitments as obliged under the Paris Agreement, Kyoto Protocol, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) that aim at reducing greenhouse gas emissions,” they added.
During the visit, they demanded that “TOTAL and all her financiers must halt the devastating extraction projects in Uganda.
“Failure to do so will add to the increasing dossier of environmental and human rights crimes by TOTAL and financial enablers.”
They Implored the people and Government of Uganda not to fall for the lies by TOTAL and other fossil fuels purveyors of promises of economic development, jobs, and energy access for communities.
According to them, experience from producing countries and their communities show devastating levels of pollution, displacement, increased national debt, and poverty levels of unimaginable proportions.
“We stand in solidarity with the people of Hoima, Bulisa, and other communities as they fight to protect their livelihoods and survival in the face of ferocious attacks by TOTAL and the fossil fuel industry.
“We call for the protection of all community defenders and activists from harassment, arrests, and threats,” they said.
The CSOs urged AFIEGO, oil-affected communities, and other CSOs to continue undertaking efforts in promoting environmental conservation, protection of human rights and climate change mitigation in Uganda to remain resolute in defending the environment.
