Uganda Continues Targeting Fossil Fuel Activists

Authorities Should Drop Charges Against EACOP Protesters

On November 6, a court in Uganda's capital, Kampala, gave the go-ahead for the trial of twelve activists, eight of whom are students. The group faces charges stemming from their protests against the planned East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP), one of the largest fossil fuel infrastructure projects currently under development globally.

The activists were arrested on August 1 during a demonstration near Stanbic Bank, a Ugandan bank providing financial support to EACOP, and have been held in jail since, in violation of international due process norms. They are facing criminal charges for "nuisance on roads." "Ongoing arrests are a way to suppress dissent and instill fear- especially since bail is often denied, so people know they could spend a long time in prison," said Brighton Aryampa, a defense lawyer for the protesters.

This is the latest example of retaliation in response to peaceful demonstrations against EACOP that have taken place at various locations in Kampala, including Parliament, embassies, and banks, urging institutions to withdraw support to the project given its serious threats to human rights and the environment. Human Rights Watch has previously documented devastating impacts on the livelihoods of Ugandan families linked to EACOP's land acquisition process.

The project will also disturb some of Africa's most sensitive ecosystems and emit millions of tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Human Rights Watch has reviewed documentation concerning 22 protests, in addition to the one at Stanbic Bank, that have led to prosecutions or police investigations of anti-EACOP protesters in Uganda since 2022. Several cases remain ongoing, while most already adjudicated were deemed to have insufficient evidence or dropped for procedural reasons.

Human Rights Watch has previously documented various ways in which the Ugandan government has cracked down on anti-fossil fuel activists and environmental defenders including harassment, threats, and arbitrarily arresting protesters.

Human rights defenders have the right to express their concerns. Instead of harassing EACOP protestors, the Ugandan authorities should listen to these concerns and respect protesters' rights to freedom of expression and assembly.

Agathe Bounfour, Senior Researcher, Environment and Human Rights

Read the original article on HRW.