A new report by Climate Rights International highlights severe human rights abuses linked to the Kingfisher oil project near Lake Albert in Uganda. The project, operated by China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC), is accused of causing forced displacement, inadequate compensation, intimidation, loss of livelihood, and even sexual violence.
This report is the first to detail such serious allegations against CNOOC, a significant player in Uganda’s burgeoning oil industry. “It’s appalling that a project touted as bringing prosperity to Uganda is instead leaving people as victims of violence, intimidation, and poverty,” said Brad Adams, executive director of Climate Rights International. He labeled the Kingfisher project as both a “dangerous carbon bomb” and a “human rights disaster.”
According to the report, numerous interviewees alleged that Ugandan government troops were involved in forced evictions, property destruction, violence, and creating an atmosphere of fear. The report calls for banks and insurers to cease funding the project.
Uganda’s oil reserves are estimated at 1.4 billion barrels, with production anticipated to start by 2026. The sector’s total investment is projected at $15 billion, with French company TotalEnergies holding a majority stake of 56.67%, CNOOC owning 28.33%, and the Uganda National Oil Company holding 15%.
Previous criticisms of Uganda’s oil ventures have mainly targeted TotalEnergies, which faces lawsuits in France over alleged human rights violations. Campaigners have also opposed the 897-mile East Africa Crude Oil Pipeline, a joint project by TotalEnergies and CNOOC, due to environmental concerns.
TotalEnergies asserts that the pipeline’s design prioritizes safety. CNOOC Uganda did not respond immediately to requests for comment. Ugandan officials have defended the project, stressing its potential to alleviate poverty and criticizing climate campaigns as interference. President Yoweri Museveni has warned that Uganda will seek other partners if TotalEnergies and its allies withdraw.
