Ugandan farmers sue EACOP over environmental concerns
Four farmers from Uganda have filed a lawsuit in London against EACOP Ltd, demanding that Ugandan environmental laws be applied to the foreign company. They claim that the construction of the oil pipeline violates their rights and could lead to a deterioration in living conditions and the environment.
Lex
Four farmers from Uganda have filed a lawsuit in the High Court of London against EACOP Ltd, a company registered in the UK and associated with the East African Crude Oil Pipeline project. This case is considered the first attempt in British legal practice to apply Ugandan constitutional, climate, and environmental laws to a foreign company.
This lawsuit marks another step by groups opposing the use of fossil fuels, aiming to halt the construction and launch of the EACOP oil pipeline. The first oil through this pipeline is expected no earlier than October of this year, coming from the Tilenga field owned by TotalEnergies in Uganda.
The 1,443-kilometer pipeline project connects Lake Albert in Uganda to the port of Tanga in Tanzania. The main owner of the pipeline is the French company TotalEnergies.
The law firm Leigh Day, representing the plaintiffs, is seeking to have Ugandan laws applied to EACOP Ltd, including the National Climate Change Act of 2021, the National Environment Act of 2019, and constitutional guarantees of the right to a clean and healthy environment. This is the first time Ugandan climate and environmental legislation is being considered in a foreign court.
The farmers claim that EACOP Ltd’s activities in developing, constructing, and operating the pipeline violate Uganda’s legal guarantees for the protection of people, nature, and the climate, including the right to a clean environment. The lawsuit demands a court injunction to stop oil transportation through the pipeline, compensation, and other legal remedies in accordance with Ugandan law.
The plaintiffs state that as a result of the project, some of their land was taken, leading to reduced crop yields and worsening living conditions. They note that the decrease in cultivated land could cause food shortages for the local community.
The lawsuit also emphasizes that the case brings together issues of corporate responsibility and preventive measures, as the court action was initiated before any potential damage occurred. The possibility of judicial intervention before environmental consequences arise is being considered.
TotalEnergies has been asked to provide comments on the case.