The Kingfisher oil project in Uganda operated by a Chinese company has resulted in numerous human rights violations, including forced evictions, inadequate compensation, threats, violence and loss of livelihoods, a new report says. Climate Rights International (CRI), a U.S.-based nonprofit, published the report on Sept. 2.
“Our findings substantiate that this project is not for the benefit of the people living in the area or for the country,” Brad Adams, CRI executive director, said in a press briefing. “It’s actually harming the environment, harming the climate and harming the human rights of people in Uganda and particularly in the Kingfisher area.”
For the report, CRI interviewed 98 people living in and around the Kingfisher oil project area located on the southeastern shore of Lake Albert. The oil project is operated by the Chinese National Offshore Oil Company Uganda Ltd. (CNOOC) and jointly owned by CNOOC, TotalEnergies EP Uganda and the Uganda National Oil Company.
Many residents near Lake Albert depend on fishing for their livelihoods. However, ever since the arrival of CNOOC and the Ugandan military, fishers told CRI that the military regularly seizes and burns boats and beats and arrests fishers.
Several fishers and two whistleblowers involved in the Kingfisher oil drilling activities told CRI that oil drilling, which began in January 2023, has led to oil dumping in the lake and a drastic decline in fish.
The land acquisition process has also been rife with coercion and intimidation, and compensation is either nonexistent or inadequate, residents told CRI. The military has forcefully evicted people, even emptying entire villages. Moreover, several local women reported intimidation and sexual violence from the Ugandan soldiers as well as personnel of the oil companies operating at Kingfisher.
The Kingfisher project is part of the East African Crude Oil Pipeline initiative that aims to transport oil from Uganda to Tanzania for export to international markets. The project runs through many ecologically and culturally sensitive areas, and villagers who criticized the project have been arrested and harassed.
CNOOC and TotalEnergies did not respond to Mongabay’s requests for a comment at the time of publishing. CRI also sent letters to the oil companies outlining the residents’ allegations but hasn’t heard back, Adams told Mongabay.
With the report published, Adams said CRI expects that banks and insurance companies will decide not to provide any new funds needed for the project.
“It would be both unethical and create serious reputational risk in their home countries when we and our Ugandan partners expose their participation,” Adams added. “We are also expecting that the Chinese government will reconsider its decision to involve CNOOC in the project since the violations we have exposed will increase China’s unpopularity on the continent. China has finally become sensitive to local concerns with its investments, since it has seen a major backlash in many countries due to the behavior of some of its companies.”
Banner image: A UPDF marine burns nets at Kingfisher oil field. © Environment Governance Institute.
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