Twenty-six Ugandans, along with five Ugandan and French aid groups, have filed a lawsuit against French oil giant TotalEnergies in Paris, seeking reparations for alleged human rights violations at the company’s megaprojects in Uganda. The affected individuals and communities claim that TotalEnergies has caused significant harm, particularly in relation to their rights to land and food.
The lawsuit focuses on two major TotalEnergies projects: the Tilenga exploration, which involves 419 oil wells, with one-third of them located in Uganda’s largest national park, Murchison Falls, and the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP), a 1,500-kilometer pipeline that transports crude oil to the Tanzanian coast through protected nature reserves.
According to the associations involved, the affected people have been deprived of the free use of their land for several years, violating their property rights. This deprivation has resulted in a loss of livelihood and serious food shortages for some families. Compensation provided by TotalEnergies has been inadequate, with some receiving insufficient financial terms or in-kind compensation.
The associations also allege that certain villages experienced flooding due to construction at the Tilenga project’s oil treatment plant. Furthermore, individuals who dared to criticize the oil projects in Uganda and Tanzania and defend the rights of affected communities have reportedly faced threats, harassment, and even arrest.
The lawsuit highlights the case of three activists who faced severe consequences for their involvement in the previous legal action against TotalEnergies. One was arrested at the airport upon returning to Uganda, while another was attacked at his home ten days later. A third activist faced threats, intrusions at his home, and arbitrary arrests.
The plaintiffs argue that TotalEnergies failed in its duty of vigilance, causing serious harm to their rights to land and food. They are seeking compensation from the company for the damages incurred.
The aid groups assert that more than 118,000 people have experienced full or partial expropriation of their land due to TotalEnergies’ projects in Uganda. They criticize foreign oil companies for profiting while local communities suffer displacement, inadequate compensation, and poverty on their own lands.
The associations claim that TotalEnergies should have been aware of the potential for human rights violations associated with its Ugandan projects. They accuse the company of failing to take action when warned of these risks and neglecting to implement corrective measures after the violations occurred.
In 2019, Friends of the Earth and four Ugandan associations previously attempted to halt the Tilenga and EACOP projects through legal action in a French court, but their efforts were unsuccessful.
The lawsuit against TotalEnergies reflects the ongoing struggle to hold multinational corporations accountable for their actions in developing countries and underscores the importance of protecting human rights and ensuring responsible practices within the oil and gas industry.
