Environmental and human rights violations have escalated in Uganda and Tanzania in the wake of actions taken by Total to secure rights of way to develop oilfields on the shores of Uganda’s Lake Albert and lay an export pipeline to the Indian Ocean, activists claim.

According to an investigative report by the French chapter of Friends of the Earth (FoE) and fellow French watchdog Survie (Survival), released on Tuesday, tens of thousands of impacted people are losing their livelihoods and have yet to receive compensation for displacement.

Collected testimonies and field surveys conducted in June and last month allege a humanitarian crisis unfolding among Great Lakes communities affected by the Tilenga oilfield project and the 1445 kilometre East Africa Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP).

Several non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in East Africa and Europe warned of the dangers a year ago when FoE led action to restrain Total under the 2017 Duty of Vigilance Act, which allows for adjudication in France of alleged abuses committed overseas by French companies.

The surprise verdict, delivered in February by a lower court in the Paris suburb of Nanterre, shocked complainants when jurisdiction was denied — and an appeal was lodged.

Release of this latest 34-page report, titled 'A Nightmare Called Total', is timed ahead of hearings scheduled for 28 October in the Versailles Court of Appeal when FoE and Survie aim to secure jurisdiction and persuade the judge to hear their case on its merits and not force further delay.

This week’s report is officially attached to the court file.

“Violations are occurring on an even larger scale now while the situation in Uganda is rapidly deteriorating and there is more urgency than ever to act,” said FoE senior campaign manager, Juliette Renaud.

The initial FoE critique in January 2018 of Total's First Resettlement Plan identified 4773 people it said were threatened by the Tilenga project. The current report, which revisited Tilenga and reviewed the wider impact of EACOP, has identified more than 100,000 people it says are at risk.

The NGOs concluded by sounding the alarm on the consequences of proceeding with Tilenga and EACOP without the full consent of locals, and highlighting the impact on climate change, wildlife, watercourses and biodiversity in one of Africa’s most pristine ecologies.

The report blasts Total for pushing both projects “at a forced pace, while trying to escape its responsibilities despite legal obligations imposed by a Duty of Vigilance under French law".

FoE and Survie say threats were not properly identified during the Environmental & Social Impact Assessments (ESIAs) because civil society was not effectively consulted, resulting in inadequate mitigation proposals, especially in Tanzania where they say existing laws do not embrace public participation.

The decision by the Total-led consortium to opt for open-cut trenching to lay EACOP may be the lowest-cost option but has a far greater environmental impact, according to the report.

Consultants cited by FoE and Survie argue this pipelay method will destroy biomass within 30 metres on either side of the pipeline — double what industry says is best practice — while severely contaminating the air, flora and otherwise arable land.

Moreover, the consequences of oil flowing through EACOP will result in gas emissions releasing some 34.3 million tonnes of CO2 per annum into the atmosphere between 2025 and 2029, according to US-based non-profit environmental consultancy E-Tech.

The CO2 emissions alone may cause difficulties for the consortium in sourcing international finance because this year's UN-sponsored Paris agreement on climate change and the International Finance Corporation's Equator Principles expressly frown on fresh lending for fossil fuel developments.

The report cites the Paris-based International Federation of Human Rights (FIDH) alleging threats and systematic harassment and intimidation of community representatives, local NGO field observers and even the directors of organisations critical of the Tilenga-EACOP project.

A litany of alleged abuses documented by the FIDH is cited by the FoE-Survie report.

“Sadly, there is a real contradiction between what Total says and the reality on the ground, so it is vital that Total reviews the mechanisms in place to provide adequate platforms for complainants," the report said.

“Total’s community liaison officers must pay attention to growing levels of hostility demonstrated towards locals who hold to their rights, and the rise of speculators and bogus individuals subverting the compensation mechanism to obtain monies intended for impacted community members.”

Total is accused of “turning a deaf ear” to tales of widespread violations but the French oil giant insists that it has faithfully sought to mitigate concerns raised by the ESIAs.

Total has been contacted for comment.

The company has previously said it has acted in full consultation, convening over “1500 engagements with (Ugandan) stakeholders including relevant ministries, local leaders and authorities".

Total also said it can mitigate the potential impact of unplanned events, with emergency response and oil spill protocols, claiming that “all conditions are in place to accelerate activities and renew land acquisition while respecting the highest standards of human rights".

Politics

'Violations on larger scale': Activists take Total to task over Uganda oilfield plans