As the two countries construct the East African Crude Oil Pipeline, the governments of Tanzania and Uganda are opposing a European Union resolution that demands the protection of the environment and human rights (EACOP).
The European Parliament resolution warns that the project threatens wetlands and water supplies, along with the livelihoods of “farmers, fisherfolk and tourism business owners” who depend upon natural resources in the region.
The EACOP, which spans from Lake Albert to the port city of Tanga in Tanzania with funding from oil firm Total and the China National Offshore Oil Corporation, is anticipated to have an impact on 118,000 people.
The resolution, which was approved on Thursday, stated that “the risks and impacts caused by the development of the oil fields and pipeline infrastructure are already reported to be immense, and have been exhaustively documented in numerous community-based impact assessments and independent expert studies.”
But Uganda’s Thomas Tayebwa, deputy speaker for parliament, called out the EU for its excessive reliance on fossil fuels when compared with his own nation, and called the EU position “economic sabotage” against the right of a sovereign nation to benefit from its own oil and gas sector.
President Yoweri Museveni followed with reassurances that the project will move forward as planned.
“We should remember that Total Energies convinced me about the Pipeline idea; if they choose to listen to the EU Parliament, we shall find someone else to work with,” Museveni warned. “Either way, we shall have our oil coming out by 2025 as planned.”
Tanzania’s energy minister, January Makamba, reaffirmed Tanzania’s commitment to advancing the EACOP plan in a message to regional media site The Citizen.
