Oil: Eacop faces farmers’ lawsuit in London court
Ugandan farmers sue Eacop in London, alleging the pipeline harmed them and seeking justice under Ugandan law.Summary
Four Ugandan farmers have filed a lawsuit in the United Kingdom High Court against the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (Eacop), claiming the project has adversely affected them. Represented by the London firm Leigh Day and supported by the advocacy network Avaaz, they seek to apply Uganda’s constitutional, environmental and climate laws to the UK‑registered Eacop Ltd. This is the sixth major legal challenge to the $5 billion TotalEnergies‑led pipeline, following earlier cases in Paris, Arusha and Kampala. The pipeline, nearly complete with 90 % of its 1,443 km buried, is expected to transport 230,000 barrels per day and generate about $2 billion annually for Uganda each side, including the African Energy Chamber, label the suit as foreign‑funded litigation undermining African energy sovereignty, while activists argue the project has displaced over 100,000 people and harmed ecosystems. TotalEnergies maintains that Eacop meets International Finance Corporation performance standards and environmental safeguards.
(Source：The Eastafrican)