Oil pipeline project in Africa disturbing community graves

Kampala, Uganda, Nov. 10:The French oil company TotalEnergies is failing to protect the sanctity of hundreds of graves in a controversial project that aims to build a heated pipeline from oil fields in Uganda to a port in Tanzania, according to a report by a New York-based climate watchdog.

In a report released Thursday, GreenFaith charges that TotalEnergies “has consistently failed to respect local customs and traditions related to the treatment of graves,” distressing local communities in the East African nations of Uganda and Tanzania.

The report is the latest effort by a growing list of campaigners who urge TotalEnergies and its partners — China National Offshore Oil Corporation and the governments of Uganda and Tanzania — to cancel the project. As the majority shareholder, TotalEnergies has long faced legal pressure from activists who say the nearly 1,500-kilometer pipeline project undermines the Paris climate accord.

TotalEnergies has denied each of the charges, saying it’s deploying state-of-the-art design, including horizontal drilling, to minimize ecological damage.

The report by GreenFaith says that, in addition to climate and human rights concerns, the pipeline is a “spiritual assault" on local communities.

Based partly on interviews with affected families in six districts in Uganda and three in Tanzania, the report says more than 2,000 graves will be disturbed or disrespected by drilling and pipeline activities.

“Project officials neglected on many occasions to use due diligence and advanced survey techniques such as ground-penetrating radar, even when local community members made it clear that graves were located in the proposed work area,” the report says. “Many large infrastructure projects use this technology to identify potential impediments to construction such as cultural artifacts or grave sites which require careful excavation.”

Anita Kayongo, a spokesperson for TotalEnergies in Uganda, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

European lawmakers adopted a resolution in September 2022 that urged the company to suspend its activities in the region. TotalEnergies has so far resisted calls for it to sell its stake in the East Africa project.

The pipeline would pass through seven forest reserves and two game parks, running alongside Lake Victoria, a source of fresh water for 40 million people. That route’s ecological fragility is one reason why some activists oppose the project despite TotalEnergies’ safety assurances.