Stop oil activities in Uganda’s national parks!

Extraction and road expansion

In July 2023, the French energy giant TotalEnergies launched an oil drilling operation in the Murchison Falls National park in Uganda – home to over 800 animal species, but also 6.5 billion barrels of oil deep under the ground. With the eventual aim of extracting 230,000 barrels of oil a day, TotalEnergies’ dual Tilenga and EACOP projects have meant the drilling of 150 wells in the park, the building of a refinery and industrial zone as well as a 1445-kilometer pipeline to the Tanga harbor in Tanzania. Although the oil giant claims its actions will have a net positive impact on the region’s biodiversity, for example by investing in black rhino and chimpanzee populations, TotalEnergies’ internal auditing firms conclude in confidential reports that its environmental measures are insufficient to conserve biodiversity. 

To make matters worse, the China Communications Construction Company (CCCC) has been improving the dirt tracks throughout the park since early 2019 to expand and pave them for use by heavy vehicles. These major investments not only cut off wildlife corridors but are also a part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative to improve its dominance in the world economy. According to a 2023 study, the local wildlife is negatively impacted by all extraction-related activity in the park. 

A protest against environmental degradation 

The Youth for Environmental Justice and Climate Action (YECA) organization was founded at Kyambogo University to provide a voice against these oil and gas activities across the entire Albertine Graben region in Uganda. The volunteer-led initiative organizes capacity building workshops to train, mentor and connect young people in Uganda and elicit change in their communities and online. The organization has, furthermore, initiated tree planting campaigns in local schools and regularly orchestrates demonstrations. 

With the support of Het Actiefonds, YECA organized a protest in April 2024 to scrutinize the Chinese presence and activities of TotalEnergies in Murchison Falls National Park. YECA mobilized the communities in Buliisa, near the park, to stand united against environmental degradation and declare its solidarity with the threatened wildlife. 

Although the local media shied away from reporting on the protest, intimidated by the present oil companies and security agencies, the activists have since appointed community leaders that continue to give updates on developments in the park and pursue strengthened connections with fossil-free movements across Africa. Het Actiefonds is proud to have supported this action and stands in solidarity with YECA’s commitment to protect Uganda’s national parks and all the wildlife inside.