In recent years, student climate activists associated with the #StopEACOP movement have actively protested the construction of the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) in Uganda. Demonstrators, armed with placards calling for environmental and community protections, have vocalized their opposition through chants targeting policymakers.
Despite their efforts, Ugandan police have repeatedly declared the protests illegal, arresting demonstrators and confiscating their materials. Government officials have dismissed the protests as orchestrated by foreign interests aimed at undermining Uganda’s economic progress.
“I have seen these young students take to the streets periodically to protest the EACOP pipeline. While I hadn’t paid close attention before, the government’s claim that they’re funded by foreign agents does not negate the important dialogue they’re initiating,” said Newton Balenzi, an environmentalist based in Kampala. “Whether one agrees with them or not, these protests are sparking vital discussions on climate action, particularly around major projects like EACOP and Uganda’s petroleum industry.”
Debate Over Uganda’s Petroleum Future
The EACOP pipeline stretches over 1,400 kilometers from oil fields near Lake Albert in western Uganda to the port of Tanga in eastern Tanzania, facilitating oil export via the Indian Ocean. Constructed underground since 2017, the project is a joint venture between French energy giant Total Energies, Uganda’s National Oil Company (UNOC), the Tanzanian government, and China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC). The pipeline’s design includes electrical heating to maintain oil flow.
This project has become a flashpoint in international climate discussions, highlighting environmental concerns amid Uganda’s developmental ambitions. In emerging economies like Uganda, the economic promise of large infrastructure often eclipses the potential environmental costs, underscoring the importance of grassroots protests as critical voices for sustainable development.
Media coverage, both local and international, has brought attention to issues such as community displacement, insufficient compensation, and environmental risks tied to the pipeline.
Movements like #StopEACOP have effectively leveraged social media and public demonstrations to raise awareness and mobilize support. Beyond pipeline-specific grievances, these activists emphasize the broader struggle for environmental justice and human rights in the face of global development pressures.
EACOP Protests Amplify Calls for Urgent Climate Action
One #StopEACOP activist, who asked to be known as Katimbo, stated, “The brief arrests and police detentions are a small sacrifice compared to the enormous cost our country will face due to these petroleum projects. Every protest is a chance to get our urgent message across—to save our planet.”
Ugandan activists find solidarity with international groups like Human Rights Watch (HRW) and Friends of the Earth, which have documented human-rights violations and environmental damage related to EACOP and Uganda’s oil sector. These organizations have urged multinational corporations to be held accountable. HRW highlights numerous protester arrests and the suspension of environmental and human-rights groups under Uganda’s 2016 NGO Law, which has been criticized for its vague and restrictive language.
While Uganda has recently experienced extreme weather events linked to climate change, these incidents have not sparked as much public debate as projects like EACOP. The pipeline serves as a tangible example of how industrial development directly contributes to global climate challenges, reinforcing the urgency of the activists’ cause.
