French court to rule on TotalEnergies' east Africa projects

A Paris court is set to rule Tuesday on a case in which French and Ugandan environmentalist groups accuse energy company TotalEnergies of failing to prevent human rights violations and risks to the environment in connection with major oil projects in east Africa.

In a 2018 lawsuit, six French and Ugandan activist groups said the company's oil extraction and pipeline projects completely or partially adversely impact the lands of approximately 118,000 people in Uganda and Tanzania.

They said tens of thousands are still awaiting compensation.

They want the court to order the company to implement measures against "all the risks of serious harm” associated with the projects, including immediate payment of compensation and food support for communities.

TotalEnergies has argued that its planning “has been implemented effectively" and that its Ugandan and Tanzanian affiliates "have applied the appropriate action plans to respect the rights of local communities and ensure respect for biodiversity.”

The company said about 8,500 households are affected in Uganda, most of which have received compensation.

It added that most of about 9,500 households have signed a compensation deal in Tanzania, where the project is less advanced.

Tuesday's ruling will be the first to be based on the 2017 “duty of vigilance” legislation that makes big companies liable for risks to human rights and the environment — even if any infractions are committed by foreign affiliates and subcontractors.

Oil drilling has recently begun in Uganda in a field operated by China National Offshore Oil Corporation, CNOOC, as part of the joint deal with TotalEnergies.

Production is expected to start by 2025. Both groups said last year that the total investment would be more than USD 10 billion.

Construction is to start this year on the 897-mile (1,443-kilometer) East Africa Crude Oil Pipeline, planned by TotalEnergies and CNOOC, between Uganda and the Indian Ocean port of Tanga in Tanzania. Authorities have described it as the world's longest heated oil pipeline.

Uganda is estimated to have recoverable oil reserves of at least 1.4 billion barrels.

Some oil wells are to be drilled within western Uganda's Murchison Falls National Park, where the Nile plummets 130 feet (40 metres) through a gap just 20 feet (6 metres) wide and the surrounding wilderness is home to hippos, egrets, giraffes and antelopes.

The pipeline would then pass through seven forest reserves and two game parks, running alongside Lake Victoria, a source of fresh water for 40 million people.

That ecological fragility is one reason why some activists oppose the project despite assurances from TotalEnergies that the pipeline's state-of-the-art-design will ensure safety for decades.

Ugandan authorities see the oil drilling project and the pipeline as key to economic development, saying oil wealth could help lift millions out of poverty. Some see condemnation of the pipeline as an assault on the country's sovereignty.

President Yoweri Museveni vowed in September that the project would proceed, with or without TotalEnergies. Uganda would “find someone else to work with" if necessary, he said.

At the time, European Union lawmakers had passed a non-binding resolution urging the international community “to exert maximum pressure on Ugandan and Tanzanian authorities, as well as the project promoters and stakeholders” to stop oil activities in the region.

That resolution cited human rights concerns focusing on fair compensation for affected communities as well as environmental fears.