Ugandan Farmers Sue EACOP Pipeline in UK High Court

Four Ugandan farmers have filed a lawsuit in the UK High Court seeking an injunction to stop the operation of the $5.6 billion East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP). Represented by the law firm Leigh Day and supported by the rights NGO Avaaz, the claimants argue that the 1,443-kilometer pipeline violates Uganda's constitution and environmental laws. The farmers, including Samuel Abedilembe, allege the project harms biodiversity, contaminates freshwater systems, and provides inadequate compensation for acquired lands.

The plaintiffs sought recourse in the United Kingdom because the project operator, EACOP Ltd., is registered there and the claimants claim they would face domestic repression if they sued within Uganda. The pipeline is designed to transport crude oil from Uganda's Lake Albert oilfields to the port of Tanga in Tanzania. It is spearheaded by TotalEnergies, which holds a 62% stake in EACOP Ltd., alongside the governments of Uganda and Tanzania and the China National Offshore Oil Corporation.

TotalEnergies maintains that it has implemented strict measures to mitigate and offset environmental impacts through wetland and forest restoration. Conversely, environmentalists describe the project as a carbon bomb that could release 379 million tonnes of pollution. The African Energy Chamber condemned the legal action as foreign-backed litigation. The lawsuit aims to halt the project before it becomes operational, potentially by October 2027, which would threaten its commercial viability.