Human Rights Watch Raises Concerns Over Uganda’s Treatment of Oil Project Protesters

Human Rights Watch (HRW) exposed a saga of immense proportions on Thursday. Accusing Ugandan authorities of unleashing oppression on activists challenging the colossal East African oil venture led by French giant TotalEnergies, HRW shed light on a $10-billion project in partnership with China National Offshore Oil Corporation.

President Yoweri Museveni hailed the venture as an economic marvel, but it faced staunch opposition from human rights champions and environmentalists. Legal battles unfolded in France, and the European Parliament voiced concerns over the wrongful imprisonment of environmental activists and uncompensated land expropriation.

The grand plan aimed to establish 400 oil wells in Uganda’s Murchison Falls National Park, with a 1,445-kilometer pipeline to the Tanzanian port of Tanga. Despite TotalEnergies’ claims of proper compensation and environmental protection, HRW’s investigation from March to September 2023 uncovered tales of threats, persecution, and arrests without legal charges.

Former head of the Oil and Gas Human Rights Defenders Association, John Kaheero Mugisa, now languished in prison. Activists in Kampala, Buliisa, and Hoima faced invasion and fear of arrest, their work shadowed by local authorities.

Jealousy Mugisha sought justice in France but encountered detention and interrogation upon returning to Uganda. Government agents warned against future testimonies in France, invoking ominous consequences.

HRW highlighted students’ cries during protests, facing brutality from security forces. Felix Horne, a senior environment researcher at HRW, likened the crackdown to a glacier, freezing free expression against a contentious fossil fuel project.

The impassioned call for the Ugandan government to cease arbitrary arrests echoed from Felix Horne. TotalEnergies professed dedication to defending human rights defenders, while Uganda’s government remained silent in the face of HRW’s exposé.

Despite HRW’s plea for a halt, promising environmental and community salvation, President Museveni remained resolute, determined to see the project through amid waves of resistance.