Faridah N Kulumba
Africa-Press – Uganda. On 9th October, Uganda celebrated its 60th Independence Day. The president of Uganda Yoweri Kaguta Museveni used this occasion to express readiness to work with other progressive forces in Western Europe to avoid the emerging frustration from the European Union which is opposed to Uganda’s oil industry.
Bitter language
Mr. Musseveni while addressing his invited guests who attended Uganda’s diamond independence jubilee including dignitaries from Western countries, Museveni cast himself as a nationalist and pan-Africanist and launched a verbal assault to ward off what he called western arrogance and interference in international affairs of independent African states.
He added that the East Africans should not worry about the European Union Parliament which decreed from Brussels that the East African Crude Oli Pipeline (EACOP) should not be constructed until those arrogant EU actors permit the oil and gas project to go on.
The EU resolution
In mid-September this year the European Parliament criticized a proposed East African pipeline, calling for TotalEnergies to consider an alternative route. European Parliament was reacting to the grave concern around alleged human rights violations in Uganda and Tanzania, linked to the Lake Albert project. The plan covers upstream investments in Tilenga and Kingfisher, with the construction of a 1400km East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) running to the Tanzanian port of Tanga.
EU concerns- According to the European Parliament, the construction of the oil pipeline from Uganda to Tanzania has led to the wrongful imprisonment of human rights defenders, the arbitrary suspension of NGOs, arbitrary prison sentences, and the eviction of hundreds of people from their land without fair and adequate compensation.
Seeking for an alternative operator
Terming the EU resolution as “yet another manifestation of imperialistic arrogancy and hegemony President Museveni assured that Uganda is willing to seek out other partners to ensure that the EACOP project start as scheduled.
Museveni’s vow
At the beginning of this month President of Uganda Museveni while addressing the Uganda Oil and Gas Summit held in Kampala, sustained his trade against the September 15th European Parliament’s proposal for the planned (EACOP) project.
President Museveni called those who are opposing the EACOP project insufferable. He advised them to control themselves in order not to explode. According to Mr. Museveni, those who are sanctioning the project are so shallow, so egocentric, and so wrong but they think they are knowledgeable about everything. He publicly criticized the West and vowed to ensure the project goes ahead as scheduled.
Will Russia be the second choice?
Citing examples of other progressive whites who worked with Ugandan freedom fighters to ensure the country’s independence in 1962, Mr. Museveni said even today, there are still people in Europe who are “not part of that white chauvinism” and that they will seek them out so that the oil project will go on as planned because it is unstoppable.
President Museveni was likely referring to Russia, which he has repeatedly praised for its non-interventionist policies towards Africa. Museveni’s statement about the second choice came just days after Russia formed an alliance with OPE, a cartel of oil-exporting countries, and announced a sharp cut in production the move that shocked and angered the western countries.
Is the EU’s resolution meant to punish Uganda for supporting Russia?
On the 4th of this month, Uganda’s Minister for Minerals Peter Lokeris dismissed the claims that Uganda’s relationship with Russia is the reason why the EU sanctioned the EACOP project.
In May this year, Uganda and Tanzania were among the 17 African countries out of 193 that voted to abstain—remain neutral—during the UN General Assembly’s emergency session convened to call for an immediate cessation of violence and withdrawal of the Russian military from Ukraine.
Speaking to Africa-Press Mr. Lokeris said that Uganda remained neutral because they do not know much about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine that’s why the country decided to abstain. He added that Uganda keeping quiet about the war does not mean that they support Russia.
Warning to oil operators
President Museveni warned any actors who will try to delay the oil pipeline that Uganda shall decisively deal with that betrayal according to the relevant law.
Is TotalEnegies still in the deal?
Recently TolalEnergies criticized the EU Parliament for failing to respect the fundamental principles of democracy. The company’s chairman and CEO Patrick Pouyanne was summoned to appear before the EU Parliament’s Human Rights sub-commission on the 10th of this month to answer some questions about the EACOP project but he turned down the invite.
However, Total CEO Pouyanne wrote a letter to the EU explaining that the parliament never accorded him space to make clarifications oil pipeline project until after the resolution was passed. And that even the 8 minutes he was to use to defend the project was not enough.
A robust response from Total became necessary after Ugandan officials came out against the resolution and President Museveni’s warning of finding an alternative operator.
EACOP agreements
On 11th April 2021, President Museveni, and the President of Tanzania Samia Suluhu Hassan signed the agreement to build an oil pipeline that will ship crude oil from fields in Western Uganda to the international market. The two countries together with the French oil giant Total and CNOOC signed a deal worth USD3.5 billion for the construction of the pipeline which would be the world’s longest at 897 miles.
The final agreement was signed on 1st February 2022, when Chines and French oil giants sealed a USD10 billion deal to unlock Uganda’s energy resources and build a vast regional pipeline, a mega-project that has incensed environmental groups.
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