Would you like to receive notifications on latest updates of the following headlines?

Hrw Accuses Ugandan Authorities Of Arresting Activists Protesting Oil Project

POSTED ON December 30, 2023 •   Energy      BY Segun Adewole
Ugandan authorities are facing allegations of harassment, arrests, and physical abuse of activists and demonstrators protesting a major East African oil project led by French energy company TotalEnergies, according to a report by Human Rights Watch (HRW) released on Thursday. The $10-billion oil project, a collaboration between TotalEnergies and the China National Offshore Oil Corporation, aims to develop oilfields in Uganda. President Yoweri Museveni has portrayed it as an economic opportunity, but it has encountered opposition from human rights activists and environmental organizations. The project, which involves drilling approximately 400 oil wells in Murchison Falls National Park, Uganda's largest protected area, has faced legal action in France. The European Parliament has also expressed concerns about the wrongful imprisonment of environmental activists and the inadequate compensation of people displaced from their land. The oil extracted from the project will be transported through a 1,445-kilometer (900-mile) pipeline to the Tanzanian port of Tanga. TotalEnergies has claimed that those displaced by the project received fair compensation, and measures have been implemented to safeguard the environment. HRW conducted interviews with 31 individuals in Uganda and Tanzania between March and September 2023, including 21 activists. Many of them reported experiencing threats, harassment, and arbitrary arrests. John Kaheero Mugisa, the former head of the Oil and Gas Human Rights Defenders Association advocating for fair compensation for displaced individuals, revealed that he had been arrested multiple times. His health has deteriorated during seven months in prison. Activists working in Uganda's capital, Kampala, as well as Buliisa and Hoima, the towns closest to the oilfields, reported that their offices were raided in 2021. One activist shared, "Most of us limit our work because of pressure and threats from our local officials. We fear arrest and losing our livelihood." Jealousy Mugisha, a project-displaced individual, traveled to France for a court hearing and was detained and interrogated for hours upon his return to Uganda. Government security agents at the airport warned him against further involvement, stating, "You are not supposed to witness in France again. If you go again, you will lose your life."
READ ALSO
SNEPCo Urges Indigenous Firms to Enhance Skills for Future Opportunities
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara May 23, 2025 0

The Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company Limited (SNEPCo) has urged Nigerian firms to st...

READ ALSO
NNPCL Empowers 531 NYSC Members with Financial Support and Starter Packs
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara May 23, 2025 0

The Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited has provided financial assistance of N531,000 each to...

READ ALSO
Yahaya Signs Electricity Bill to Foster Investment and Regulation
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara May 21, 2025 0

Governor Inuwa Yahaya has officially enacted the Gombe State Electricity Bill, 2025. This announce...

READ ALSO
DAPPMAN Seek Collaboration with Dangote Refinery as NNPC Fails to Deliver
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara May 19, 2025 0

The Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN) has announced that its m...

READ ALSO
FG Unveils  Plan to Revitalize Nigeria's Electricity Distribution
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara May 13, 2025 0

The Nigerian federal government has introduced a significant initiative aimed at reforming the count...

READ ALSO
Dangote Rejects Claims of Inadequate Fuel Supply Amidst Marketers' Accusations
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara May 12, 2025 0

The Dangote Petroleum Refinery has dismissed accusations from oil marketers claiming that the facili...

READ ALSO
Crude Oil Prices Fall Below $60 as Nigeria Faces Budgetary Challenges Amid Production Struggles
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara May 6, 2025 0

Crude oil prices have dipped below $60 per barrel, causing worries about the ability of federal and...

READ ALSO
NNPC  fire over 200 employees  in leadership restructure
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara April 29, 2025 0

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Ltd has let go of several senior employees as part of...

OUR CHANNELS:

Enugu Proposes Bill to Curb Criminal Activities Linked to Traditional Practitioners
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara June 6, 2025 0

ENUGU, Nigeria - Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah has proposed an Executive Bill to the Enugu State H...


Bill Gates Advocates for Improved Health Care in Nigeria Amid Budget Constraints
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara June 6, 2025 0

US billionaire Bill Gates, who chairs the Gates Foundation, expressed that Nigeria’s health bu...


Controller General Issues Urgent Security Directive for Correctional Facilities
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara June 6, 2025 0

The Controller General of Corrections, Sylvester Nwakuche, has issued a strict order to all Zonal Co...


NEMA Mobilizes Teams to 15 States Amid Flood Warnings
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara June 5, 2025 0

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has sent officials to 15 high-risk states to educate...


Edo Faces Diphtheria Outbreak, Two Confirmed Deaths
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara June 5, 2025 0

EDO, Nigeria (NAN) - A diphtheria outbreak has been confirmed in Edo State, resulting in two deaths....


Tinubu Honors Bill Gates with National Award for Global Philanthropy
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara June 5, 2025 0

LAGOS, Nigeria - President Bola Tinubu commended Bill Gates, the co-founder of Microsoft and chairma...


Bahrain, Colombia, DRC, Latvia, and Liberia Join UN Security Council for 2026-2027 Term
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara June 5, 2025 0

The UN General Assembly on Tuesday elected five new non-permanent members to the UN Security Council...


Tinubu Orders Urgent Repairs on Flood-Damaged Bridge in Mokwa
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara June 5, 2025 0

NIGER, Nigeria (NAN)- President Bola Tinubu has instructed the Federal Ministry of Works to repair t...


Nigeria Needs ₦2.2 Trillion to Eliminate Cervical Cancer by 2030, Says Task Force Chair
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara June 5, 2025 0

ABUJA, Nigeria — Nigeria will need ₦2.2 trillion to roll out comprehensive cervical cancer ini...


EFCC Charges Two Men for Posing as Fake Sureties in Illegal Mining Case
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara June 4, 2025 0

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has charged two individuals, Shehu Abdu and Isah...


More Articles

Load more...

Menu